Church Street Gardens

Church Street Gardens. The Heritage Garden. , Church Street Gardens is the smallest public open space in Windsor. There used to be cottages here but these burnt down in around 1800. You can see the old cottage fireplaces on the wall at the back of the Gardens, Church Street is in the historic heart of Windsor, a network of cobbled streets adjacent to Castle Hill and dating from medieval times. Since the Guildhall was built in 1890, the area has become known as Guildhall Island., The Street is named after the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist in the High Street - you could once see the church from here. There has been a church on the site for over 800 years but the existing church dates from 1821., This was once the market area of the town where local produce was bought and sold. Until the 19th century Church Street was known as Fyssh (or Fish) Street because of the stalls selling eels, salmon and other fish caught from the River Thames. The market cross stood where the statue of Queen Victoria now stands and the front of the Guildhall was used as the corn exchange as well as for cattle fairs three times a year., Church Street has a fascinating past. King Charles I was imprisoned in Windsor before being executed and you can see a copy of his death warrant signed by Oliver Cromwell, on the wall of the Old Kings Head opposite the Gardens. Next to this is where Nell Gwyn, the mistress of King Charles II, lived for a while. St. Albans Street was named after their son, the Duke of St. Albans, but before this it was called Priest Street. William Shakespeare walked here while he was in Windsor writing his famous play The Merry Wives of Windsor. Tunnels connect some of the buildings in Church Street, and some even lead to Windsor Castle The tunnels have now been blocked for security reasons. , Staff from Windsor Castle use to live in Church Street but there have been many shops and businesses here as well. In 1818 a dispensary, or hospital for the sick poor of Windsor opened in the Street, and a savings bank and butcher were also here around that time. Later, the Street housed the Kings Head Museum, the Carpenters Arms, a wine merchant and a chutney and curry powder maker. In 1835 the Clarence Coffee House was a popular meeting place and there were also tea gardens here. The 1930s saw a Masonic Hall in the Street. , Today Church Street Gardens has been transformed into a Heritage Garden, a sanctuary for residents and visitors. The traditional hopscotch game has been specially designed for the garden and shows the shields of some of the monarchs connected with Windsor. Details of how to play the game are on the back of this sign.