During World War 2, thousands of German bombs fell on London and many people lost their homes and their jobs. As well as these, thousands more homes were not suitable to live in. Some Londoners even had to share wash rooms and toilets. The big problem was where were all of these Londoners going to live?
The British government found a solution to these problems by building new estates around towns outside London. Britwell was the 14th such estate to be built by the London Country Council.
Britwell was designed not only to have 2,900 houses owned by London County Council and 300 owned by Slough Borough Council, but also a church, a community and health centre, a clinic, a library and refreshment houses. The new schools and their playing fields would occupy 60 acres of the site. The first Londoners moved into the estate in around 1956.
Britwell has had a long history before the London County Council built its estate. In the 14th centaury Britwell was called Bruttewelde. The name is said to have come from a well in Green Lane, Burnham. Water was pumped from the well all the way to Britwell Court.
In 1903 Mr. Brown bought Burnham Grove and much of the land belonging to Britwell Court and named it the Burnham Grove Estate. After the Second World War this land was used to build the Britwell Housing Estate.
A short general history
Britwell
Forgotten history of the Irish
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