Berkshire 64951 216997374 2008-06-04T04:10:21Z Little Savage 380298 +he {{refimprove|date=April 2007}} {{otheruses}} :''"Berks" redirects here. For the county in Pennsylvania, see [[Berks County, Pennsylvania]].'' {{Infobox England county | name = Berkshire | motto = Dieu et mon droit! | map = [[Image:EnglandBerkshire.png]]<br><small>''Shown within [[England]]''</small> | status = [[Non-metropolitan county|Non-metropolitan]] &<br>[[Ceremonial counties of England|Ceremonial county]] | origin = [[Historic counties of England|Historic]] | region = [[South East England]] | arearank = [[List of ceremonial counties of England by area|Ranked 40th]] | area_km2 = 1262 | adminarearank = <!-- OPTIONAL, REMOVE LINE IF NOT NEEDED --> | adminarea_km2 = <!-- OPTIONAL, REMOVE LINE IF NOT NEEDED --> | adminhq = <!-- OPTIONAL, REMOVE LINE IF NOT NEEDED --> | iso = GB-WBK | ons = Formerly 10 | nutscode = 3 | nuts3 = UKJ11 | poprank = [[List of ceremonial counties of England by population|Ranked 26th]] | popestdate = 2005 | pop = 812,200 | density_km2 = 643 | adminpoprank = <!-- OPTIONAL, REMOVE LINE IF NOT NEEDED --> | adminpop = <!-- OPTIONAL, REMOVE LINE IF NOT NEEDED --> | ethnicity = 88.7% White<br>6.8% S.Asian<br>2.0% Black. | council = ''No [[county council]] since 1998.'' | mps = <small> *[[Adam Afriyie]] [[Conservative Party (UK)|(C)]] *[[Richard Benyon]] [[Conservative Party (UK)|(C)]] *[[Andrew Mackay]] [[Conservative Party (UK)|(C)]] *[[Fiona Mactaggart]] [[Labour Party (UK)|(L)]] *[[Theresa May]] [[Conservative Party (UK)|(C)]] *[[John Redwood]] [[Conservative Party (UK)|(C)]] *[[Martin Salter]] [[Labour Party (UK)|(L)]] *[[Rob Wilson]] [[Conservative Party (UK)|(C)]] </small> | subdivname = Districts | subdivmap = [[Image:EnglandBerkshireNumbered.png]] | subdivs = #[[West Berkshire]] (Unitary) #[[Reading (district)|Reading]] (Unitary) #[[Wokingham (district)|Wokingham]] (Unitary) #[[Bracknell Forest]] (Unitary) #[[Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead|Windsor and Maidenhead]] (Unitary) #[[Slough]] (Unitary) }} <!---Start of article---> '''Berkshire''' ({{pronEng|ˈbɑːkʃə}} or {{IPA|/ˈbɑːkʃɪə/}} say: Baak-shuh/-sheer); sometimes abbreviated to '''Berks''') is a [[Home Counties|Home]] [[Counties of England|County]] in the [[South East England|South East]] of [[England]]. It is also often referred to as the '''Royal County of Berkshire''' because of the presence of the royal residence of [[Windsor Castle]] in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1958, and [[Letters patent]] issued confirming this in 1974.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/collections/jubilee/jubilee_story4.htm |accessdate=2007-04-22 |title=Berkshire, The Royal County |author=Berkshire Record Office |work=Golden Jubilee 2002 collection}}</ref> The county town is [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] (formerly [[Abingdon, Oxfordshire|Abingdon]]), although Berkshire is now split into several [[unitary authorities]] which have their own councils. Berkshire borders the counties of [[Oxfordshire]], [[Buckinghamshire]], [[Surrey]], [[Wiltshire]], [[Hampshire]] and [[Greater London]]. ==History== The county is one of the oldest in England. It may date from the 840s, the probable period of the unification of "[[Sonning|Sunningum]]" (East Berkshire) and "Ashdown" (the Berkshire Downs, probably including the Kennet Valley). The county is first mentioned by name in 860. According to [[Asser]], it takes its name from a large forest of box trees that was called ''Bearroc'' (believed, in turn, to be a [[Celtic language|Celtic]] word meaning "hilly").{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Berkshire has been the scene of many battles throughout history, during [[Alfred the Great]]'s campaign against the [[Dane]]s, including the Battle of [[Englefield, Berkshire|Englefield]], the [[Battle of Ashdown]] and the [[Battle of Reading (871)|Battle of Reading]]. During the [[English Civil War]] there were two [[Battle of Newbury|battles]] in [[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]]. During the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688, there was a second [[Battle of Reading (1688)|Battle at Reading]], also known as the "Battle of Broad Street". [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] became the new county town in 1867, taking over from [[Abingdon, Oxfordshire|Abingdon]] [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/villages/abingdon.html] which remained in the county. Under the [[Local Government Act 1888]], Berkshire County Council took over functions of the Berkshire [[Quarter Sessions]], covering an area known as the administrative county of Berkshire, which excluded the [[county borough]] of [[Reading (district)|Reading]]. Boundary alterations in the early part of the 20th century were minor, with Caversham from [[Oxfordshire]] becoming part of the Reading county borough, and cessions in the [[Oxford]] area. On [[April 1]], [[1974]], following the [[Local Government Act 1972]], the northern part of the county became part of [[Oxfordshire]], with [[Faringdon]], [[Wantage]] and [[Abingdon, Oxfordshire|Abingdon]] and hinterland becoming the [[Vale of White Horse]] district, and [[Didcot]] and [[Wallingford]] going to form part of the [[South Oxfordshire]] district. In return, Berkshire obtained the towns of [[Slough]] and [[Eton, Berkshire| Eton]] and part of the former [[Eton Rural District]] from Buckinghamshire. The original Local Government White Paper would have transferred [[Henley-on-Thames]] from Oxfordshire to Berkshire: this proposal did not make it into the Bill as introduced. On [[1 April]] [[1998]] Berkshire County Council was abolished under a recommendation of the [[Local Government Commission for England (1992)|Banham Commission]], and the districts became [[unitary authority|unitary authorities]]. Unlike similar reforms elsewhere at the same time, the non-metropolitan county was not abolished. Signs saying "Welcome to the Royal County of Berkshire" have all but disappeared but may still be seen on the borders of West Berkshire District, on the east side of [[Virginia Water]], and on the [[M4 motorway]]. ==Economy== This is a chart of trend of regional gross [[value added]] of Berkshire at current basic prices [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf published] (pp.240–253) by ''Office for National Statistics'' with figures in millions of British [[pounds sterling]]. {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year || Regional Gross Value Added<sup>1</sup> || Agriculture<sup>2</sup> || Industry<sup>3</sup> || Services<sup>4</sup> |- | 1995 || '''10,997''' || 53 || 2,689 || 8,255 |- | 2000 || '''18,412''' || 40 || 3,511 || 14,861 |- | 2003 || '''21,119''' || 48 || 3,666 || 17,406 |} ; Notes # Components may not sum to totals due to rounding # Includes hunting and forestry # Includes energy and construction # Includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured ==Geology, landscape and ecology== From a landscape perspective, Berkshire divides into two clearly distinct sections with the boundary lying roughly on a north-south line through the centre of [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]]. The eastern section of Berkshire lies largely to the south of the [[River Thames]], with that river forming the northern boundary of the county. In two places ([[Slough]] and Reading) the county now includes land to the north of the river. Tributaries of the Thames, including the [[River Loddon|Loddon]] and [[River Blackwater (River Loddon)|Blackwater]] increase the amount of low lying riverine land in the area. Beyond the flood plains, the land rises gently to the county boundaries with [[Surrey]] and [[Hampshire]]. Much of this area is still well wooded, especially around [[Bracknell]] and [[Windsor Great Park]]. In the west of the county and heading upstream, the Thames veers away to the north of the (current) county boundary, leaving the county behind at the [[Goring Gap]]. This is a narrow part of the otherwise quite broad river valley where, at the end of the last [[Ice Age]], the Thames forced its way between the [[Chiltern Hills]] (to the north of the river in [[Oxfordshire]]) and the [[Berkshire Downs]]. As a consequence, the western portion of the county is situated around the valley of the [[River Kennet]], which joins the Thames in Reading. Fairly steep slopes on each side delineate the river's flat floodplain. To the south, the land rises steeply to the nearby county boundary with [[Hampshire]], and the highest parts of the county lie here. The highest of these is [[Walbury Hill]] at 297 m (974 ft), which is also the highest point in [[South East England]]. To the north of the Kennet, the land rises again to the [[Berkshire Downs]]. This is a hilly area, with smaller and well-wooded valleys draining into the [[River Lambourn]], [[River Pang]] and their tributaries, and open upland areas famous for their involvement in [[horse racing]] and the consequent ever-present training gallops. As part of a 2002 marketing campaign, the plant conservation charity [[Plantlife]] chose the [[Summer Snowflake]] as the [[county flower]]. ==Sport== One football club from the county plays professional [[association football|football]], [[Reading F.C.|Reading]], who were formed in [[1871]]. ==Demographics== According to 2003 estimates there are 803,657 people in Berkshire, or 636 people/km². The population is mostly based in the urban areas to the east and centre of the county ([[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]], [[Slough]], [[Bracknell]], [[Maidenhead]], [[Wokingham]], [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]], [[Sandhurst]], [[Crowthorne]] and [[Twyford, Berkshire|Twyford]] being the largest towns) with [[West Berkshire]] being much more rural and sparsely populated, with far fewer towns ([[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]], [[Thatcham]], [[Hungerford]] and [[Lambourn]]). The population has increased massively since 1831; this is largely due to Berkshire's proximity to an expanding [[London]]{{fact|date=April 2008}}. In 1831, there were 146,234 people living in Berkshire; by 1901 the population had risen to 252,571 (of which 122,807 were male and 129,764 were female). Population of Berkshire: * 1831: 146,234 * 1841: 161,759 * 1851: 170,065 * 1861: 176,256 * 1871: 196,475 * 1881: 218,363 * 1891: 238,709 * 1901: 252,571 ==Politics== Berkshire is a [[ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] and [[non-metropolitan county]] and it is unusual in England in that it is the only such county with multiple districts but no [[county council]]. The district councils are unitary authorities but do not have county status. In the [[unitary authority|unitary authorities]] the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] control [[West Berkshire]], [[Windsor and Maidenhead]], [[Wokingham (district)|Wokingham]] and [[Bracknell Forest]] councils, [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] controls [[Slough]] and [[Reading (district)|Reading]] is under no overall control. Since the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 general election]], the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] dominates, controlling six out of eight constituencies. [[Slough (UK Parliament constituency)|Slough]] and [[Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading West]] are both represented by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. ''See also: [[List of Parliamentary constituencies in Berkshire]]'' == Places of interest == <div style="float:right;"> {{EngPlacesKey}} </div> {| * [[Ashdown House, England|Ashdown House]] [[Image:NTE icon.png|National Trust]] * [[Basildon Park]] [[Image:NTE icon.png|National Trust]] * [[Beale Park]] * [[Berkshire Downs]] [[Image:UKAL icon.png|Accessible open space]] * [[Bisham Abbey]] [[Image:HH icon.png|Historic house]] * [[California, Berkshire|California Country Park]][[Image:CP icon.png|Country park]] * [[Combe Gibbet]] [[Image:UKAL icon.png|Accessible open space]] * [[Donnington Castle]] [[Image:EH icon.png|English Heritage]] * [[Eton College]] * [[Frogmore|Frogmore House]] [[Image:HH icon.png|Historic house]] * [[Greenham Common]] [[Image:UKAL icon.png|Accessible open space]] * [[Lardon Chase, the Holies and Lough Down]] [[Image:NTE icon.png|National Trust]] * [[LEGOLAND Windsor|Legoland Windsor]] * [[Museum of English Rural Life]] [[Image:Museum icon.png|Museum (free)]] * [[Museum of Reading]] [[Image:Museum icon.png|Museum (free)]] * [[Reading Abbey]] * [[REME Museum of Technology]] [[Image:Museum icon (red).png|Museum (not free)]] * [[Stanlake Park Wine Estate]] [[Image:UKAL icon.png|Accessible open space]] * [[The Ridgeway]] [[Image:UKAL icon.png|Accessible open space]] * [[Walbury Hill]] [[Image:UKAL icon.png|Accessible open space]] * [[Welford Park]] [[Image:HH icon.png|Historic house]] * [[Windsor Castle]] * [[Windsor Great Park]] [[Image:CP icon.png|Country park]] |} ==See also== * [[Thames Valley]] * [[:Category:Schools in Berkshire|Schools in Berkshire]] * [[List of places in Berkshire]] * [[List of civil parishes in Berkshire]] * [[Flag of Berkshire]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Commonscat|Berkshire}} * [http://archive.museophile.org/berks/ Berkshire information] * [http://www.berkshirehistory.com Royal Berkshire History] * [http://www.uk-web-index.co.uk/countyphotos/Berkshire/0/0/ Photographs of Berkshire] * [http://www.reading.gov.uk/ Reading Borough Council] * [http://www.wokingham.gov.uk Wokingham Borough Council] * [http://www.footstepspast.co.uk/berkshire%20connections/berks%20htm/berkshire%20index.htm footstepspast.co.uk &mdash; Berkshire connections] * [http://www.polishcommunity.net.pl/ Polish people in UK] <br /> {{England counties}} {{Berkshire}} [[Category:Berkshire|*]] [[Category:Government and politics of Slough]] [[ang:Bearrucscīr]] [[ar:بريكشير]] [[cy:Berkshire]] [[da:Berkshire, England]] [[de:Berkshire]] [[et:Berkshire]] [[el:Μπέρκσαϊρ]] [[es:Berkshire]] [[eo:Berkshire]] [[eu:Berkshire]] [[fr:Berkshire]] [[ko:버크셔 주]] [[he:ברקשייר]] [[hi:बर्कशायर]] [[id:Berkshire]] [[is:Berkshire]] [[it:Berkshire]] [[kw:Berkshire]] [[la:Comitatus Berceriensis]] [[lv:Bērkšīra]] [[lb:Berkshire]] [[nl:Berkshire]] [[ja:バークシャー]] [[no:Berkshire]] [[pl:Berkshire (Anglia)]] [[pt:Berkshire]] [[ro:Berkshire]] [[ru:Беркшир]] [[simple:Berkshire]] [[sk:Berkshire (grófstvo)]] [[fi:Berkshire]] [[sv:Berkshire]] [[vo:Berkshire]] [[zh:伯克郡]]