Published: Tuesday, 23rd June, 2009 11:41am

A brief history of Upton Court

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* Upton Court is the second oldest building in Slough after its neighbour, St Laurence"s Church, which dates back to the 12th century

* In 1156 the manor of Upton was given to the Merton Priory monks, who constructed the building

* Tree ring dating of the building gives a construction date of about 1325, with timbers in the south wall dating from 1280

* After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, the Manor was reverted to the Crown until 1630

* The Lascelles family bought the property in 1711 and had famous tenants including Victorian journalist George Augustus Sala and explorer Sir Douglas Forsyth

* King George V and Queen Mary visited the site in 1922 with the view to it becoming a home for the Princess Royal and her husband, the Earl of Harewood, but it did not pass Queen Mary"s test and was sold

* Local printer Francis Groves bought the building in 1952 and lived in it until his death in 1986, when it was bought and restored to its original medieval form by the owners of the Observer

* It is rumoured that there is a secret passage between Upton Court and the nearby Red Cow Pub, but this has never been substantiated

* Witnesses have reported seeing a woman in a bloodstained dress walking in the grounds on Friday nights, although she has not been seen for many years