Berkshire
Berkshire (including Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, Windsor and Maidenhead ) is in the South East of England. It has a population of around 860,000 and covers approximately 130,000 hectares. Here is a list of nearby or neighbouring counties: Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, London, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Wiltshire.
Berkshire is also called the Royal County of Berkshire, due to the presence of the Royal residence of Windsor Castle, which is a popular tourist destination and houses much of the Royal collection of art. The county town of Berkshire is Reading, which each year hosts the famous Reading Festival and the museum of Reading has collections of art, artefacts from local history and a copy of the Bayeux Tapestry. Visitors to the Museum of English Rural Life can see thousands of exhibits from farming history including tractors, carts and a wide range of tools as well as a large library. Performing arts venues in Berkshire include The Watermill Theatre in Newbury, the Theatre Royal in Windsor, The Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead and The Firestation Centre for Arts and Culture in Windsor.
Basildon Park is an 18th century Georgian house set among extensive parkland, which was restored during the 1950s and is decorated with art and furnishings from the period. Shaw House is an Elizabethan mansion on the edge of Newbury built during the 16th century, which is now owned by the local council and after years of neglect was restored and hosts a range of events, activities and exhibitions. Maidenhead Heritage Centre has a range of exhibits which help visitors learn about local history, dating back though the centuries from the Roman period to the Victorian period and the twentieth century. Other attractions in Berkshire include Wellington Country Park near Reading, Silchester Roman ruins, Mapledurham House, Frogmore House, the remains of Donnington Castle and South Hill Park Arts Centre in Bracknell.
