Berkshire facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the county in England. For other uses, see Berkshire (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids

Berkshire

Royal County of Berkshire

Ceremonial county

The Berkshire Downs near Aldworth, The Blade, Reading, and Windsor Castle

Ceremonial Berkshire within England

Ceremonial Berkshire

Historic Berkshire in the British Isles

Historic Berkshire

Established

Time zone

UTC±00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+01:00 (British Summer Time)

Members of Parliament

List of MPs

Police

Thames Valley Police


Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant	Andrew Try
High Sheriff	Mary Riall
Area	1,263 km² (488 sq mi)
• Ranked	40th of 48
Population (2005 est.)	812,200
• Ranked	26th of 48
Density	643/km² (1,670/sq mi)
Ethnicity	88.7% White 6.8% S. Asian 2.0% Black
Non-metropolitan county
Joint committees	Berkshire Local Transport Body Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Admin HQ	Reading
ITL	UKJ11
Districts
Districts of Berkshire Unitary
Districts	West Berkshire Reading Wokingham Bracknell Forest Windsor and Maidenhead Slough

Berkshire, also known as the Royal County of Berkshire, is a county in South East England. It's a special type of county called a ceremonial county. It shares borders with Oxfordshire to the north and Greater London to the east. Other neighbours include Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Hampshire, and Wiltshire.

Reading is the biggest town in Berkshire and is also the county town. This means it's the main administrative centre. The county covers about 1,263 square kilometres (488 square miles). Around 911,403 people live here.

Most of the people live in the eastern part of Berkshire. This area is closer to London. The biggest towns in the east are Reading, Slough, Bracknell, and Maidenhead. The western part of the county is more rural, with lots of countryside. Its largest town is Newbury.

Berkshire has six local government areas called unitary authorities. These are Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Wokingham.

The Berkshire Downs are a beautiful area of chalk hills in the west. They are known for their natural beauty. The River Kennet starts here and flows through Newbury before joining the River Thames in Reading. The Thames then forms Berkshire's northern border. It flows past towns like Maidenhead, Slough, and Windsor.

Berkshire has a long history. People lived here even before recorded history. Windsor Castle, a famous home for the British monarch, was built after the Norman Conquest. The county has seen many battles, especially during the First English Civil War. In more recent times, the eastern part of Berkshire grew a lot because it's close to London. Today, technology and software companies are very important to the economy in the east. The west, however, remains a farming area.

History of Berkshire

Windsor Castle, a famous landmark in Berkshire.

Berkshire got its name from an old Celtic word, Bearroc, which means "hilly." This name likely came from a wood of box trees near Newbury. This was recorded in a book about Alfred the Great in 893 AD.

Much of Berkshire's early history is found in the records of Abingdon Abbey. This abbey was very powerful and owned a lot of land. For a long time, Berkshire and Oxfordshire even shared the same sheriff.

Famous Battles in Berkshire

Berkshire has been the site of several important battles. Alfred the Great fought against the Danes here in battles like Englefield and Ashdown.

During the English Civil War, two major battles took place near Newbury. These were the First Battle of Newbury in 1643 and the Second Battle of Newbury in 1644. Nearby Donnington Castle was badly damaged after the second battle. Another battle happened in Reading in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution. This battle was a big win for forces loyal to William of Orange.

Changes Over Time

Reading became the main county town in 1867. Before that, it was Abingdon. In 1974, Berkshire's borders changed. Some areas like Slough and Eton joined Berkshire from Buckinghamshire. However, some northern parts of Berkshire, including Abingdon and Wantage, became part of Oxfordshire.

In 1998, the Berkshire County Council was removed. Instead, the six smaller areas became unitary authorities. This means they manage their own local services. Even so, signs still welcome you to the "Royal County of Berkshire" at its borders.

The official flag of the historic county of Berkshire.

A special flag for the historic county of Berkshire was officially recognized in 2017.

Geography and Landscape

Virginia Water Lake on the southern edge of Windsor Great Park.

All of Berkshire's rivers eventually flow into the River Thames. The county can be split into two main parts: east and west of Reading.

East Berkshire's Landscape

North-east Berkshire has the winding bends of the Thames. South of this, there's a flatter area with clay and gravel. Further south, you find areas with sand and flint, like Swinley Forest (also known as Bracknell Forest) and Windsor Great Park. These areas have many pine and silver birch trees.

Towns like Slough, Eton, and Datchet are on the north side of the Thames. Caversham, a suburb of Reading, is also on this side but rises steeply into the Chiltern Hills.

West Berkshire's Landscape

West Berkshire stretches further away from the Thames. The River Kennet flows through this part of the county. The land here rises to high chalk hills and lower clay slopes. The highest point in South-East England, Walbury Hill, is in West Berkshire. It's 297 metres (974 feet) high.

North of the Kennet are the Berkshire Downs. This area has rolling hills and wooded valleys, like those of the Lambourn and Pang. These open uplands are famous for training racehorses and growing crops like barley and wheat.

People and Population

Berkshire is home to over 911,000 people. Most of them live in the towns in the east and centre of the county. These include Reading, Slough, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Woodley, Wokingham, and Windsor.

West Berkshire is much more rural and has fewer towns. The largest towns there are Newbury, Thatcham, and Hungerford.

In 1831, about 146,000 people lived in Berkshire. By 1901, this number had grown to over 252,000. Many people from different countries have made Berkshire their home. In 2011, the largest groups of immigrants came from:

India
Pakistan
Poland
Ireland
South Africa

How Berkshire is Governed

Berkshire is a ceremonial county. This means it has a special representative of the King or Queen, called a Lord Lieutenant. The current Lord Lieutenant is Andrew Try. It also has a High Sheriff.

Local Government

Berkshire does not have one single county council. Instead, it is divided into six unitary authorities. Each of these areas manages its own local services, like schools and roads.

As of 2023, different political parties run these unitary authorities:

West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Wokingham are run by Liberal Democrat councillors.
Bracknell Forest and Reading are run by Labour Party councillors.
Slough is run by Conservative Party councillors.

National Government (Parliament)

People in Berkshire vote for Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent them in the UK Parliament. Since the 2017 election, most of Berkshire's MPs have been from the Conservative Party. The former Prime Minister, Theresa May, represented the Maidenhead area.

Economy and Industry

Berkshire has a strong economy, especially in the technology sector.

Key Industries and Companies

The Oracle Corporation campus in Reading.

Reading is a hub for the information technology (IT) industry. Many big tech companies have offices here, including Microsoft and Oracle. Other important tech companies like Fujitsu and Hewlett-Packard also have operations in Reading. Financial companies like ING Direct and insurance companies like Prudential also have centres here.

Slough Trading Estate is a major business centre.

Slough is another important business centre. The global headquarters of Reckitt Benckiser and the UK headquarters of Mars, Incorporated are in Slough. Many IT companies, like BlackBerry, have their European head offices here. Other well-known brands like Nintendo and Amazon also have offices in Slough.

Bracknell is also known for high-tech industries. Companies like Panasonic, Dell, and Siemens have a presence here. Waitrose, a large supermarket chain, has its main distribution centre and head office in Bracknell. Honda and BMW also have their UK headquarters in the town.

Newbury is home to the global headquarters of Vodafone, a major mobile network operator. Vodafone is the biggest employer in Newbury. Other companies like National Instruments and Micro Focus are also based here.

In the village of Compton, a company called Biosynth Carbosynth makes special chemicals. Heathrow Airport, which is very close to Slough, also helps the economy of east Berkshire.

Farming and Food

Berkshire has a history of dairy farming. Some local cheeses include Wigmore, Waterloo, and Spenwood. Barkham Blue and Barkham Chase are also made in Berkshire.

Media and Communications

Local news and TV shows for Berkshire are provided by BBC South and ITV Meridian. If you live closer to London, like in Maidenhead or Windsor, you might get BBC London and ITV London.

The main local radio stations are BBC Radio Berkshire, Heart South, and Greatest Hits Radio Berkshire & North Hampshire.

Sports in Berkshire

Berkshire is a great place for sports, especially horse racing and football.

Horse Racing

The grandstand at Ascot Racecourse.

Berkshire is famous for horse racing. Ascot Racecourse is one of the most important racecourses in the UK. It hosts many top races, including the Royal Meeting in June, which the British Royal Family often attends. The most exciting race there is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Newbury Racecourse hosts both flat races and jump races. It's home to the Lockinge Stakes, a major flat race, and the Ladbrokes Trophy, a big jump race.

Windsor Racecourse is unique because it's one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the UK. It now focuses only on flat racing.

Lambourn is known as the 'Valley of the Racecourse'. Its open downs are perfect for training racehorses. It's the second-largest centre for racehorse training in the UK after Newmarket.

Football

The Select Car Leasing Stadium in Reading, home of Reading F.C.

Reading F.C. is Berkshire's only professional football club. They joined the Football League in 1920 and played in the top English league in the 2006–07 season.

There are also many amateur and semi-professional football clubs in Berkshire. These include Maidenhead United, Slough Town, Hungerford Town, and Bracknell Town F.C..

Rugby

Reading is also a centre for rugby union football. The professional team London Irish used to play at the Madejski Stadium in Reading.

Newbury R.F.C. is Newbury's rugby union club. They have played in national leagues and have a modern ground.

Ice Hockey

Berkshire has ice hockey teams too. The Bracknell Bees Ice Hockey Club are former national champions. The Slough Jets also play in the English Premier League and have won several titles.

Field Hockey

There are several field hockey clubs in Berkshire. These include Phoenix Reading Hockey Club, Reading Hockey Club, and Slough Hockey Club. In 2016, Bracknell and Wokingham Hockey Clubs joined to form South Berkshire Hockey Club.

Education in Berkshire

Berkshire is home to several universities and well-known schools.

University of Reading (includes the Henley Business School)
Imperial College (Silwood Park Campus)
University of West London

Famous independent schools include Ludgrove School, Eton College, and Wellington College. There are also excellent grammar schools like Reading School and Kendrick School.

Famous People from Berkshire

Berkshire has been home to many notable people throughout history.

King Henry I of England (founded and buried at Reading Abbey)
King Edward III of England (one of England's most successful medieval kings)
King Henry VI of England (born at Windsor)
Catherine, Princess of Wales (spouse of William, Prince of Wales)
Jane Austen (famous author)
Michael Bond (creator of Paddington Bear)
Kenneth Branagh (actor and film director)
David Cameron (former Prime Minister)
Jimmy Carr (comedian)
Emilia Clarke (actress)
Ricky Gervais (comedian)
Elton John (singer-songwriter, lives in Old Windsor)
Peter Jones (entrepreneur from Dragons' Den)
Kate Winslet (actress)
Will Young (singer-songwriter)

Places to Visit

Key
	Owned by the National Trust
	Owned by English Heritage
	Owned by the Forestry Commission
	A Country Park
	An Accessible open space
	Museum (free)
	Museum (charges entry fee)
	Heritage railway
	Historic House