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Maidenhead, Berkshire, EnglandTown of Maidenhead, BerkshireTown situated close to M4 Motorway (London - Bristol) and on main London Paddington - Bristol Great Western Railway. The first bridge across the River Thames went up some time before 1255, when Henry III issued a road widening order. A timber wharf was built alongside the bridge and it is from this New Wharf or Maiden Hythe that Maidenhead takes its name. "Maydenheth" was granted its first charter. The big change for Maidenhead came with the arrival of the Great Western Railway in 1838. Brunel spanned the Thames with the brick built railway bridge which still stands. Initially the town declined as the railway took away the road traffic that had been such an important source of income. When people realised they could live in the country and still travel to work; the age of the commuter was born. The population of Maidenhead increased and new shops and businesses grew to serve the new commuters. You can travel by train to London's Paddington mainline station in about half an hour. Junction 8/9 of the M4 motorway linking London and the west country is a mile or so from the town centre; The City of Bristol is about an hour and a half's drive. London's Heathrow Airport is a short drive towards London on the M4. Maidenhead has a population of around 60,000; it is part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead whose population is 133,606 (2001 census). Official Maidenhead, Berkshire website: www.rbwm.gov.uk
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