40-foot telescope, Windsor and Eton

#10 among attractions in Windsor and Eton

Sightseeing

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Facts and practical information

William Herschel's 40-foot telescope, also known as the Great Forty-Foot telescope, was a reflecting telescope constructed between 1785 and 1789 at Observatory House in Slough, England. It used a 48-inch diameter primary mirror with a 40-foot-long focal length. It was the largest telescope in the world for 50 years. It may have been used to discover Enceladus and Mimas, the 6th and 7th moons of Saturn. It was dismantled in 1840 by Herschel's son John Herschel due to safety concerns; today the original mirror and a 10-foot section of the tube remain. ()

Alternative names: Coordinates: 51°30'30"N, 0°35'43"W

Address

UptonWindsor and Eton United Kingdom

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Day trips

40-foot telescope – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Eton College Chapel, Eton College Collections, Church of St Laurence, Eton College.

1.3 miSW
Church
Eton College Chapel, Slough
33 min walk • Eton College Chapel is the main chapel of Eton College, a public school in England. The chapel was planned to be a little over double its actual length, but this plan was never completed owing to the downfall of the founder Henry VI.
1.2 miSW
Museum, Specialty museum, History museum
Eton College Collections, Slough
32 min walk • The Eton College Collections are a collection of items of significant cultural or scientific value kept by Eton College in England. They include College Library, College Archives, Eton College Natural History Museum, Casa Guidi, Eton College Antiquities Collection and the Museum of Eton Life.
0.5 miSE
Romanesque architecture, Church
Church of St Laurence, Slough
13 min walk • Saint Laurence's Church is one of three Church of England parish churches in the benefice of Upton-cum-Chalvey, and is the oldest building in the borough of Slough, in Berkshire, England.
1.2 miSW
Universities and schools
Eton College, Slough
32 min walk • Eton College is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore, intended as a sister institution to King's College, Cambridge, making it the 18th-oldest Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference school.
0.5 miNW
City hall
Slough Town Hall, Slough
12 min walk • Slough Town Hall is a former municipal building in Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire, England. The town hall was the headquarters of Slough Borough Council until 2011.
~540 ftS
Church
St Mary's Parish Church, Slough
3 min walk • St Mary's Parish Church is a red brick gothic style Church of England parish church in the parish of Upton cum Chalvey in the borough of Slough and the county of Berkshire in England.
0.4 miS
Park
Herschel Park, Slough
11 min walk • Herschel Park is a public park in Upton, a suburb of Slough in Berkshire. It is owned and managed by Slough Borough Council. It is in two adjacent areas. The larger area of 4.2-hectare in the north is a Local Nature Reserve. The more formal area in the north is a Grade II listed park.
0.4 miE
Museum
Slough Museum, Slough
11 min walk • Slough Museum is an independent museum in Slough in the English county of Berkshire. It has two exhibition galleries presenting the past, present and future of the town.
~620 ftN
Library
Pizza Express, Slough
3 min walk • The Heart of Slough project is a £400 million plan to redevelop the town centre in Slough, Berkshire. Begun in 2009, it aims to create a "cultural quarter" for the creative media, information and communications industries in the town. Part of the renovation has been funded by a middle-eastern business.
1.2 miSW
Museum, Specialty museum
Eton College Natural History Museum, Slough
32 min walk • The Eton College Natural History Museum is a museum of natural history that is part of Eton College, a public school at Eton, Berkshire near Windsor in England. The museum contains many stuffed animals, plants, fossils and insects. It is located by the archway into the Queens Quad, beside Lower Chapel at the school.
1.1 miS
Bridge
Black Potts Railway Bridge, Slough
28 min walk • Black Potts Railway Bridge carries the railway from London to Windsor, Berkshire across the River Thames. The Staines to Windsor & Eton Line terminates immediately after the bridge at Windsor and Eton Riverside railway station.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which popular attractions are close to 40-foot telescope?

Nearby attractions include St Mary's Parish Church, Slough (3 min walk), Pizza Express, Slough (3 min walk), Slough Museum, Slough (11 min walk), Herschel Park, Slough (11 min walk).