England: Berkshire
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Berkshire is one of England's oldest counties and has witnessed many famous battles over the centuries and with such a long history it will not come as a great surprise that the region has an excellent number of historic houses, buildings and sites.
Besides Windsor Castle the county also has the ruined medieval castle, Donnington Castle as well as a number of abbies (Bisham Abbey & Reading Abbey) as well as a few fine houses to visit (Ashdown House, Frogmore House and Welford Park Historic house).
The Berkshire countryside is rather pleasant with basically two distinct regions, roughly eastern and western, with rather differing landscapes. The eastern region is found south of the River Thames and features and number of Thames tributaries. Towards the boundaries of Hampshire and Surrey the land raises up, from an area mainly consisting of flood plains, and becomes considerably wooded. It is here that you will find the incredibly pleasant Windsor Great Park.
In contrast the west part of Berkshire, once beyond the flood plains, rises more sharply and considerably higher than the eastern part of the county. It is in this part of the county where you will find the highest point in the South East of England, Walbury Hill , and the Berkshire Downs. The Berkshire Downs are part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and extremely popular for training horses. The area has long been associated with horse racing and you will find a concentration of training areas and stables in the area around the village of Lambourn. At one time all of the Downs were located in the county but following changes (made in 1974) parts are now in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.
Berkshire is a wonderful place in which to take a touring vacation and across the county you will find endless numbers of small villages and hamlets each worthy of spending a little time exploring (including the interestingly named village of "World's End").
Places To Visit In Berkshire, England
Settlements In The County Of Berkshire
Ascot, Bracknell, Crowthorne, Earley, Eton, Hungerford, Maidenhead, Newbury, Reading (county town), Sandhurst, Slough, Thatcham, Windsor, Wokingham and Woodley
Museums & Art Galleries
The Cole Museum of Zoology, Maidenhead Heritage Centre, Museum of Berkshire Aviation, Museum of English Rural Life, Museum of Reading, REME Museum of Technology, Slough Museum, Stanley Spencer Gallery, Thames Valley Police Museum, Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, Wallingford Museum and the West Berkshire Museum in Newbury.
Religious Buildings Of Interest
Bisham Abbey
Historic Houses & Stately Homes
Aldermaston Court, Basildon Park, Bearwood, Billingbear House, Bulmershe Court, Caversham Park, Coley Park, Cumberland Lodge, Deanery Gardens, Ditton Park, Easthampstead Park, Foxhill House, Frogmore House, Monkey Island, Oakley Court, Park Place, Prospect Park, Royal Lodge, Shaw House, Sonning Bishop's Palace, South Hill Park, Swallowfield Park, Tittenhurst Park, Ufton Court, Welford Park, Whiteknights Park and Wokefield Park.
Castles
Beaumys Castle, Brightwell Castle, Donnington Castle, Faringdon Castle, FitzHarris Castle, Hampstead Marshall Castle, Hampstead Norreys, Hinton Waldrist Castle, Moreton Castle, Newbury Castle, Wallingford Castle, Windsor Castle, Woodhay Castle and Yattendon Castle
Hotels In Berkshire
To find Berkshire hotels simply click on the vacation destinations below:
| Abingdon | Earley | Newbury | Thatcham |
| Ascot | Eton | Reading | Windsor |
| Bracknell | Hungerford | Sandhurst | Wokingham |
| Crowthorne | Maidenhead | Slough | Woodley |
Check Availability Of Berkshire Hotels
Useful Berkshire Links
Berkshire Bed & Breakfast
Listings of guest houses and hotels in Berkshire.
Hotels in Berkshire
Listings of Berkshire hotel accommodation.
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