According to the 1086 Domesday Survey, the manors of Bedfont, Hatton and Stanmore were all held by
William Fitz Other. It is very likely that all 3 villages existed in the Saxon (pre-1066) period. The name
Bedfont is probably Saxon, and the ’font’ part most likely indicates a spring. The oldest part of Bedfont’s
parish church, St. Mary’s, date from about 1150. It is often the case that early Norman stone churches
were built to replace wooden buildings from before the Conquest.

The Roman Road: London to Silchester (or Exeter) road went through Bedfont. By the end of the 17th
century the state of roads in England was so poor that it took 5 days to complete the journey. The roads
were greatly improved by the "Turnpike Trusts", which maintained a section of road, charging tolls to its
users.

In 1754 the Bedfont Turnpike (or toll booth) was set up on the western edge of the parish, with the
next most easterly being in Hounslow. The road was "macadamised" - layers of successively smaller
stones being laid which compacted together with use, and so produced a resilient surface. This greatly
improved journey times. London to Exeter (179 miles) by stagecoach required only 2 overnight stays, and
in 1790 the mail-coach took 25 hours. Several inns in Bedfont profited from this trade, particularly "The
Bell". The age of the stagecoach and mail-coach ended when the network of railways was constructed in
the 1830s and 1840s (the Waterloo to Staines railway opened in 1848), and the roads were used mostly
for more local traffic for many years.

The Staines Road through Bedfont remained un-tarred until 1919. East Bedfont, although on the main
London to Staines Road, has been lucky in escaping the complete destruction of the small village
character. The road only passes the edge of the spacious Green, and the small church is set further back.


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