Boveney historically formed a
chapelry of the
ancient parish of
Burnham. Parish functions under the
poor laws from the 17th century onwards were administered separately for the chapelry of Boveney and the rest of Burnham parish. As such, Boveney became a separate
civil parish in 1866 when the legal definition of 'parish' was changed to be the areas used for administering the poor laws. Boveney was part of
Eton Rural District from 1894 to 1934. The parish was abolished in 1934. The north-east of the old parish, which included part of the built up area of
Eton Wick, was transferred to
Eton Urban District. The remainder of the old parish was added to the parish of
Dorney. At the 1931 census (the last before the abolition of the parish), Boveney had a population of 630. The
Church of St Mary Magdalene is in a remote part of the village by the River Thames. In 1983 the church was declared redundant and vested in the care of the
Friends of Friendless Churches, who repair and conserve it for visitors and local people to enjoy. In 2004 a major campaign was undertaken to repair the 14th century timber-framed tower and a further programme of repairs was planned for 2007, so the church was closed to visitors. Dorney Common, which borders the village, is one of several locations to view
Windsor Castle from outside the town of Windsor itself; the large open space affords panoramic views of the castle as well as parts of
Eton. ==In literature==