The Wolf at Dedworth
(Latterly
The Maypole)
The Maypole pub in Dedworth Road,
known to the locals as The Wolf, was demolished by
Nicholas King Homes in early 2003. They illegally
worked on Saturday afternoon and Sunday.
There had been a pub on the site for at
least 240 years. It had always been known as The Wolf apart from in the last ten years when it
was known first as The Dedworth Arms and then The Maypole.
It had been the identity of the village of
Dedworth.
Since then the developer has put in six
applications to build flats on the site. The first two
applications were for 34 flats in a four-storey
building which would have meant a huge and unsightly
block in the middle of Dedworth, higher than the
Church across the road and dwarfing the bungalows
already on the site.
The council failed to come to a decision
on this in the allotted time and so the developers
have appealed to the Deputy Prime Minister. His office
has arranged a public enquiry on 3rd and 4th February at
the Maidenhead Room, Guildhall, Windsor, from 10 am. Please turn up to support the
villagers.
The council later produced a document with
nine reasons why they would have refused the
application. The council is to be congratulated on
this, but it has not deterred the developers.
Subsequent applications were put in for 31
and 26 flats. These would still produce a horrendous
monstrosity which would dominate the skyline of
Dedworth and would be out of keeping with the area.
The site should not be used for more than about a
dozen flats and on two floors only.
But it was not a site where there was
housing before. It was there for leisure use. It was
not just a pub. It was a meeting place, a restaurant,
and the Church held its Summer Fair there. The
Motorcycle Action Group met there. So why should there
be flats there at all?
Demolition
begins
Demolition
continues
The
demolition is completed
Our thanks are due
to PM for preparing this article and supplying the
photographs.
There is also a Windsor Pubs Forum where additional
information may be available and where your memories
of The Wolf in years gone by would be welcome
Update 6th March
2004
The inspector turned
down the appeal and the developers were not allowed to
build 34 flats. However, they appealed on their other
application for 31 flats and there was a public
enquiry at the Guildhall in June 2004 and the flats were eventually completed
in 2005.
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