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Taplow lies in the west of the District, fronting the Thames and is connected to Maidenhead by a bridge built in 1772. Farther south the river is spanned by the splendid brick-built railway viaduct designed by Brunel and built in 1838.
In the adjacent woods is Taplow Court, once the residence of Lord Desborough.Tudor in style, the house was, in fact, built in 1855 and has been attributed, it is thought incorrectly, to Sir Charles Barry. Excavation in 1883 of the burial mound in the grounds brought to light 7th century Saxon jewels, clothing and pottery. These finds are second only in importance to the treasure found at Sutton Hoo, and until that find were the most important in the country. The burial was obviously that of a great prince or chief, and it is thought that his name would have been Taeppa, from which the village derives its name. The finds are to be seen in the British Museum in the Edward VIII Gallery, in close proximity to the Sutton Hoo ship burial remains. Taplow village is on high ground behind Taplow Court and its cottages are close to the church, a Gothic Structure dating from 1912 and distinguished by its tall spire.
To the north is the Cliveden Estate which covered over 300 acres along the riverside. The slopes and gardens of the mansion overlook the Thames at Cliveden Reach, one of the most beautiful and thickly-wooded stretches along the Thames.
The original Cliveden House was built in 1666 and the present mansion is the third on the site. It has had many famous owners, including the Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Orkney, the Duchess of Sutherland, the Duke of Westminster and the Astor family. The present house was designed by Sir Charles Barry in 1850 and is one of his finest works. It has fine state rooms and tapestries and furniture of note. In the grounds are temples and a gazebo by Leoni and a balustrade from the Villa Borghese in Rome. Cliveden was given to the National Trust with an endowment by the 2nd Viscount Astor in 1942, and in 1954 the 3rd Viscount gave Taplow Court Woods. The house is now let as a hotel.
Inland from Cliveden is the Dropmore Estate and Dropmore House, which was designed by Samuel Wyatt and built for Lord Grenville who purchased the land here in 1792. He removed a hill to give a view of Windsor Castle from his windows and then, over a period of years, he laid out lawns and paths and planted trees and shrubs to transform his 600 acre ‘wilderness’ into an area of exceptional beauty. The building has been devastated by two fires and is a cause of concern.
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