Editing Berkshire

{{Short description|County of England}}
{{About|the county in England}}
{{Redirect-multi|1|Berks.|other uses|Berks (disambiguation)|the singular|Berk (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2011}}
{{infobox English county
| official_name           = Berkshire
| other_name              = Royal County of Berkshire
| image_main              = {{multiple images |border=infobox |perrow=1 2 |total_width=270px
 | image1 = Sweep of the Downs at Starveall, Berkshire - geograph.org.uk - 4043203.jpg
 | image2 = The Blade, Abbey Square, Reading.jpg
 | image3 = Windsor Castle Sunset - Nov 2006.jpg
 }}
| image_caption           = The [[Berkshire Downs]] near [[Aldworth]], [[The Blade, Reading]], and [[Windsor Castle]]
| locator_map             = {{Switcher
 | [[File:Berkshire UK locator map 2010.svg|250px]]
 | Ceremonial Berkshire
 | [[File:Berkshire - British Isles.svg|250px]]
 | Historic Berkshire
 }}
| coordinates             = {{WikidataCoord|Q23220|region:GB_type:adm1st|display=inline,title}}
| region                  = [[South East England|South East]]
| established_date        = [[Historic counties of England|Ancient]]
| established_by          = 
| preceded_by             = 
| origin                  = 
| MPs                     = [[Parliamentary constituencies in Berkshire|9 MPs]]
| police                  = [[Thames Valley Police]]
| largest_town            = 
<!-- Ceremonial county fields -->
| lord_lieutenant_office  = Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire
| lord_lieutenant_name    = Andrew Try
| high_sheriff_office     = High Sheriff of Berkshire
| high_sheriff_name       = Alexander Barfield (2024-2025)
| ethnicity               = 
| ethnicity_year          = 
| ethnicity_footnotes     = 
<!-- Districts map -->
| districts_map           = [[File:Berkshire numbered districts.svg|280px]]
| districts_key           = {{Colorsample|#FEFE77}} Unitary
| districts_list          =
# [[West Berkshire]]
# [[Borough of Reading|Reading]]
# [[Wokingham District|Wokingham]]
# [[Bracknell Forest]]
# [[Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead|Windsor and Maidenhead]]
# [[Borough of Slough|Slough]]
}}

'''Berkshire''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɑː|r|k|ʃ|ɪər|,_|-|ʃ|ər|audio=En-Berkshire.ogg}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/berkshire |title=Berkshire definition and meaning |website=Collins English Dictionary |access-date=28 May 2020 |archive-date=22 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622020055/http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/berkshire |url-status=live }}</ref> {{respell|BARK|sheer|,_-|shər}}; abbreviated {{Em|Berks.}}), officially the '''Royal County of Berkshire''', is a [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] in [[South East England]]. It is bordered by [[Oxfordshire]] to the north, [[Buckinghamshire]] to the north-east, [[Greater London]] to the east, [[Surrey]] to the south-east, [[Hampshire]] to the south, and [[Wiltshire]] to the west. [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] is the largest settlement and the [[county town]].

The county has an area of {{Convert|1263|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and a population of 911,403. The population is concentrated in the east, the area closest to Greater London, which includes the county's largest towns: Reading (174,224), [[Slough]] (164,793), [[Bracknell]] (113,205), and [[Maidenhead]] (70,374). The west is rural, and its largest town is [[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]] (33,841). For local government purposes Berkshire comprises six [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] areas: [[Bracknell Forest]], [[Borough of Reading|Reading]], [[Borough of Slough|Slough]], [[West Berkshire]], [[Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead|Windsor and Maidenhead]], and [[Borough of Wokingham|Wokingham]]. The historic county included the parts of Oxfordshire south of the [[River Thames]], which formed its northern border, but excluded [[Caversham, Reading|Caversham]] and [[Slough]].

The [[Berkshire Downs]], a chalk downland and [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty|area of outstanding natural beauty]], occupy the west of the county. They are the source of the [[River Kennet]], which flows east through Newbury before meeting the Thames at Reading. The Thames then forms Berkshire's northern border, flowing past Maidenhead, before entering the county and flowing past Slough and [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]]. The south-east of the county contains [[Swinley Forest]], a remnant of [[Windsor Great Park|Windsor Forest]] now used as a [[forestry plantation]].

There is evidence of [[Prehistoric Britain|prehistoric]] settlement on the Berkshire Downs, including the [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]] [[Uffington White Horse]], now in Oxfordshire. In the Anglo-Saxon period the region was contested by [[Mercia]] and [[Wessex]], and [[Alfred the Great]] was born in [[Wantage]], also now in Oxfordshire. [[Windsor Castle]], which would become the official country residence of the [[British monarch]], was built after the [[Norman Conquest]]. The county has been the site of several battles, particularly during the [[First English Civil War]], when [[Siege of Reading|Reading]] and Wallingford were besieged two battles took place at Newbury, in [[First Battle of Newbury|1643]] and [[Second Battle of Newbury|1644]]. The proximity of the east of the county to London led to development from the nineteenth century, when Slough became an industrial centre and Bracknell was designated a [[New towns in the United Kingdom|new town]]. Software development and high-tech industry dominate the economy in the east, but the west remains an agricultural region.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-15 |title=Berkshire {{!}} England, Map, History, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Berkshire-county-England |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Encyclopaedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=783–784}}

==History==
{{Main|History of Berkshire}}
[[File:Windsor Castle at Sunset - Nov 2006.jpg|thumb|left|[[Windsor Castle]], viewed from the Long Walk]]
According to [[Asser]]'s biography of [[King Alfred]], written in 893 AD,<ref>{{cite book |last=Cook |first=Albert S. |title=Asser's Life of King Alfred, translated from the text of Stevenson's edition |place=Boston |publisher=Ginn and Company |year=1905 |page=1 |url=https://archive.org/stream/asserslifeofking00asseiala#page/n15/mode/2up/ |access-date=11 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306162218/http://www.archive.org/stream/asserslifeofking00asseiala#page/n15/mode/2up/ |archive-date=6 March 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Berkshire takes its name from a wood of [[box tree]]s, which was called ''Bearroc'' (a [[Celtic language|Celtic]] word meaning "hilly").<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/Berkshire |title=Berkshire |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=4 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505205403/https://www.etymonline.com/word/Berkshire |archive-date=5 May 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> This wood, perhaps no longer extant, was west of [[Frilsham]], near [[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Stenton |first=Frank M. |author-link=Frank Stenton |title=The Place-Names of Berkshire: An Essay |series=Studies in Local History |publisher=Reading University College |page=3 |year=1911 |url=https://archive.org/stream/placenamesofberk00sten#page/2/mode/2up/search/Berroc |access-date=11 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203055135/http://www.archive.org/stream/placenamesofberk00sten#page/2/mode/2up/search/Berroc |archive-date=3 February 2009 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Much of the county's early history is recorded in the ''Chronicles'' of the [[Abingdon Abbey]], which at the time of the survey was second only to the crown in the extent and number of its possessions, such as [[The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay]]. The abbot exercised considerable judicial and administrative powers, and his court was endowed with the privileges of the hundred court and freed from liability to interference by the sheriff. Berkshire and Oxfordshire had a common sheriff until the reign of [[Elizabeth I]], and the shire court was held at [[Grandpont]]. The assizes were formerly held at Reading, Abingdon, and Newbury, but by 1911 were held entirely at Reading.{{Sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=783–784}}

Berkshire has been the scene of notable battles. [[Alfred the Great]]'s campaign against the [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danes]] included the battles of [[Battle of Englefield|Englefield]], [[Battle of Ashdown|Ashdown]] and [[Battle of Reading (871)|Reading]]. [[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]] was the site of [[English Civil War]] battles: the [[First Battle of Newbury]], at [[Wash Common]] in 1643, and the [[Second Battle of Newbury]], at [[Speen, Berkshire|Speen]] in 1644. [[Donnington Castle]] was reduced to a ruin in the aftermath of the second battle. Another [[Battle of Reading (1688)|Battle of Reading]] took place on 9 December 1688. It was the only substantial military action in England during the [[Glorious Revolution]] and ended in a decisive victory for forces loyal to [[William III of England|William of Orange]].<ref>{{citation |last=Daniell |first=Christopher |year=2014 |title=Atlas of Early Modern Britain, 1485–1715}}</ref>

[[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] became the new county town in 1867, taking over from [[Abingdon, Berkshire|Abingdon]], which remained in the county. Under the [[Local Government Act 1888]], Berkshire County Council took over functions of the Berkshire [[Quarter Sessions]], covering the administrative county of Berkshire, which excluded the [[county borough]] of [[Borough of Reading|Reading]]. Boundary alterations in the late 19th century and early 20th century were relatively rare, but included ceding the parts of the borough of [[Oxford]] south of the Thames in 1889, and gaining Caversham from [[Oxfordshire]] in 1911. The administrative county's full legal name was "Berks" rather than "Berkshire" until 1967, when the government changed the name to Berkshire at the county council's request.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=44343|page=6668|date=15 June 1967}}</ref>

Berkshire received the title "Royal County" in 1957 due to the presence of Windsor Castle. The area has historical ties to royalty dating back to the Norman Conquest, when William the Conqueror established Windsor as a royal residence.<ref>"Berkshire County History." Berkshire History Society, 2020.</ref> On 1 April 1974, Berkshire's boundaries changed under the [[Local Government Act 1972]]. Berkshire took over administration of [[Slough]] and [[Eton, Berkshire|Eton]] and part of the former [[Eton Rural District]] from Buckinghamshire.<ref name="guide">{{cite book |title=Local government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System |publisher=[[HMSO]] |year=1974 |isbn=0-11-750847-0 |location=London |pages=1, 31}}</ref> The northern part of the county came under governance of [[Oxfordshire]], with [[Faringdon]], [[Wantage]] and [[Abingdon, Berkshire|Abingdon]] and their hinterland becoming the [[Vale of White Horse]] district, and [[Didcot]] and [[Wallingford, Oxfordshire|Wallingford]] added to [[South Oxfordshire]] district.<ref name=guide/> [[Berkshire Yeomanry|94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron]] still keep the [[Uffington White Horse]] in their insignia, even though the White Horse is now within the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire. 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.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}

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.{{efn|This was done to maintain [[List of place names with royal styles in the United Kingdom|royal county]] status.}}<ref name=1996order>{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1996/Uksi_19961879_en_2.htm |title=The Berkshire (Structural Change) Order 1996 |date=18 July 1996 |publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information]] |access-date=20 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091209084421/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1996/Uksi_19961879_en_2.htm |archive-date=9 December 2009 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199495/cmhansrd/1995-03-31/Writtens-2.html |title=Written Answers to Questions Col.830 |date=31 March 1995 |work=House of Commons Hansard Debates |publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] |access-date=20 April 2010 |quote=In Berkshire, although the county council will be abolished, the county area will remain. Along with its lord lieutenant, it will retain its high sheriff and its title as a royal county. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425104706/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199495/cmhansrd/1995-03-31/Writtens-2.html |archive-date=25 April 2010 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Signs saying "Welcome to the Royal County of Berkshire" exist on borders of West Berkshire, on the east side of [[Virginia Water]], on the [[M4 motorway]], on the south side of [[Sonning Bridge]], on the A404 southbound by Marlow, and northbound on the A33 past [[Stratfield Saye]].

[[File:Flag of Berkshire.svg|thumb|Flag of the historic county of Berkshire]]

A [[Flag of Berkshire|flag for the historic county of Berkshire]] was registered with the [[Flag Institute]] in 2017.

==Geography==
[[Image:VirginiaWater AerialView.jpg|thumb|[[Virginia Water Lake]] on the southern edge of [[Windsor Great Park]]]]
[[File:Oxonium Buckinghamia Berceria Atals.jpg|thumb|250px|Hand-drawn map of Oxford, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire by Christopher Saxton from 1576.]]

All of the county is drained by the Thames. Berkshire divides into two topological{{clarify|date=February 2022}} (and associated geological) sections: east and west of [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]]. North-east Berkshire has the low calciferous (limestone) m-shaped bends of the Thames south of which is a broader, clayey, gravelly former watery plain or belt from Earley to Windsor and beyond, south, are parcels and belts of uneroded higher sands, flints, shingles and lightly acid soil and in the north of the [[Bagshot Formation]], north of [[Surrey]] and [[Hampshire]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 2017 |title=Berkshire - The Building Stones of England |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/building-stones-england-berkshire/bse-berkshire/ |website=Historic England}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BGG - Berkshire Geology |url=https://berksgeoconservation.org.uk/geology.php |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=berksgeoconservation.org.uk}}</ref> [[Swinley Forest]] (also known as Bracknell Forest), [[Windsor Great Park]], Crowthorne and Stratfield Saye Woods have many pine, silver birch, and other lightly acid-soil trees. East of the grassy and wooded bends a large minority of East Berkshire's land mirrors the clay belt, being of low elevation and on the left (north) bank of the [[River Thames|Thames]]: Slough, Eton, Eton Wick, Wraysbury, Horton, and Datchet. In the heart of the county Reading's northern suburb Caversham is also on that bank, but rises steeply into the [[Chiltern Hills]].

Two main tributaries skirt past Reading, the [[River Loddon|Loddon]] and its sub-tributary the [[River Blackwater (River Loddon)|Blackwater]] draining parts of two counties south, and the Kennet draining part of upland Wiltshire in the west. Heading west the reduced, but equally large, part of the county extends further from the Thames which flows from the north-north-west before the [[Goring Gap]]; West Berkshire hosts the varying-width plain of the [[River Kennet]] rising to high chalk hills by way of and lower clay slopes and rises. To the south, the land crests along the boundary with [[Hampshire]]; the highest parts of South-East and Eastern England taken together are here. The highest is [[Walbury Hill]] at {{cvt|297|m|ft}}.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bathurst |first=David |year=2012 |title=Walking the county high points of England |location=Chichester |publisher=Summersdale |isbn=978-1-84-953239-6 |pages=148–154}}</ref> To the north of the Kennet are the [[Berkshire Downs]]. This is hilly country, with smaller and well-wooded valleys: those of the [[River Lambourn|Lambourn]], [[River Pang|Pang]], and their Thames sub-tributaries. The open upland areas vie with [[Newmarket, Suffolk]] for [[horse racing]] training and breeding centres and have good fields of barley, wheat, and other cereal crops.

==Geology==
Berkshire’s surface can be divided into three bands: the county's [[Downland|downlands]], south and east of which the [[London Clay Formation|London Clay]] spans almost the whole county, and in the south-east corner sandy [[Palaeogene]] heath covers the London Clay. This is an oversimplification, however.

A gently folded succession of [[sedimentary rocks]] dating from the [[Cretaceous]] period, with some surviving Palaeogene cover and extensive [[Quaternary]] deposits, characterise the downlands, which cover the area to the west of [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] and the western edge of the [[Chiltern Hills]].<ref name=sumbler>{{cite book|title=British Regional Geology: London and the Thames Valley|last=Sumbler|first=M.G.|year=1996|publisher=4th edn, Keyworth: British Geological Survey|isbn=0-11-884522-5}}</ref> The lower (early) Cretaceous rocks are [[sandstones]] and [[mudstones]] (now visible only on the slopes of [[Walbury Hill]]) whilst those of the upper (late) Cretaceous are the various formations that comprise the [[Chalk Group]]. In Berkshire, [[White Chalk Formation]] beds tend to be shallower than those further west ([[Wiltshire]]) or those in the Chilterns, and often contain layers of chalk rock. Less consolidated Palaeogene [[clay]]s, [[sand]]s, [[gravels]] and [[silt]]s  of the [[Lambeth Group|Lambeth]], [[Thames Group|Thames]] and [[Bracklesham Group]]s overlie these rocks in some areas.<ref name=firth>{{cite book|title=Geology and Archæology of Berkshire for people who aren't geologists or archæologists|last=Firth|first=John|year=2022|publisher=London: Baffin Books|isbn=978-1-9998198-8-0}}</ref> These hills, and the valleys that surround them, were shaped by the rivers [[River Kennet|Kennet]],<ref name=gibbard>{{citation|title=History of the major rivers of southern Britain during the Tertiary|journal=Journal of the Geological Society|issue=6|pages=829–45|year=2003|last1=Gibbard|first1=Philip|last2=Lewin|first2=John|volume=160 |doi=10.1144/0016-764902-137 |bibcode=2003JGSoc.160..829G |url=https://www.qpg.geog.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/tertiaryrivers/|access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref> [[River Lambourn|Lambourn]],<ref>{{citation|title=Fluvial response to late Pleistocene and Holocene environmental change in a Thames chalkland headwater: the Lambourn of southern England|journal=Proceedings of the Geologists' Association|volume=126|issue=5|pages=683–97|year=2015|last1=Newell|first1=Andrew|last2=Sorensen|first2=James|last3=Chambers|first3=Jonathan|last4=Wilkinson|first4=Paul|last5=Uhlemann|first5=Sebastian|last6=Roberts|first6=Colin|last7=Gooddy|first7=Darren|last8=Vane|first8=Christopher|last9=Binley|first9=Andrew|doi=10.1016/j.pgeola.2015.08.008 |bibcode=2015PrGA..126..683N }}</ref> Pang<ref name=bridgland>{{citation|title=Quaternary river diversions in the London Basin and the eastern English Channel|journal=Géographie physique et Quaternaire|volume=51|issue=3|pages=337–46|year=1997|last1=Bridgland|first1=D.R.|last2=Gibbard|first2=P.L.|doi=10.7202/033132ar }}</ref> and [[River Enborne|Enborne]], and the Quaternary sands and gravels they brought with them and (in the case of the Kennet) left behind when they changed course.<ref>{{citation|title=The mineralogy of Quaternary deposits in the Kennet valley, Berkshire|journal=Proceedings of the Geologists' Association|volume=92|issue=2|pages=93–103|year=1981|last1=Chartres|first1=C.J.|doi=10.1016/S0016-7878(81)80010-7 |bibcode=1981PrGA...92...93C }}</ref>

The early [[Eocene]] London Clay (Thames Group) generally gets thinner as we proceed westwards, though the thickness of beds can vary considerably over short distances.<ref name=firth></ref> Where rivers have cut through these beds Lambeth Group layers are found (notably, the [[Palaeocene]] [[Reading Formation]], used for brick-making since Roman times but now increasingly scarce in the area after which it was named).<ref name=sumbler></ref>

The heaths and woodland south and east of [[Bracknell]] are mostly covered by (Eocene) Bracklesham Group sands and clays, and Quaternary sands, silts and gravels. After the [[River Thames|Thames]] broke through the [[Goring Gap]] that river and its tributaries the [[River Loddon|Loddon]], [[Emm Brook]], [[River Blackwater (River Loddon)|Blackwater]] and (to some extent) [[River Wey|Wey]]<ref name=bridgland></ref> shaped the geography of eastern Berkshire but have not yet eroded away its Eocene cover.<ref>{{citation|title=The Pleistocene braided river deposits in the Blackwater valley area of Berkshire and Hampshire, England|journal=Proceedings of the Geologists' Association|volume=92|issue=2|pages=139–57|year=1981|last1=Clarke|first1=M.R.|last2=Dixon|first2=A.J.|doi=10.1016/S0016-7878(81)80002-8 |bibcode=1981PrGA...92..139C }}</ref>

==Demography==
{{see also|List of settlements in Berkshire by population}}
{{Historical populations
|1831|146,234 
|1841|161,759
|1851|170,065
|1861|176,256
|1871|196,475
|1881|218,363
|1891|238,709
|1901|252,571
|1951|404,000
|1983|680,000
|source=<ref name="millbanksystems1983">[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1983/dec/14/berkshire-planning-and-development Berkshire (Planning and Development) (Hansard, 14 December 1983)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227015646/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1983/dec/14/berkshire-planning-and-development |date=27 December 2012 }}. api.parliament.uk (14 December 1983). Retrieved on 17 July 2013</ref>
}}
According to 2003 estimates there were 803,657 people in Berkshire, or 636 people/km<sup>2</sup>. The population is mostly based in the urban areas to the east and centre of the county: the largest towns here are [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]], [[Slough]], [[Bracknell]], [[Maidenhead]], [[Woodley, Berkshire|Woodley]], [[Wokingham]], [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]], [[Earley]], [[Sandhurst, Berkshire|Sandhurst]], and [[Crowthorne]]. West Berkshire is much more rural and sparsely populated, with far fewer towns: the largest are [[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]], [[Thatcham]], and [[Hungerford]]. In recent years, Berkshire has seen consistent population growth, particularly in urban areas like Reading and Slough. Between 2011-21, the population increased by 6.7%, largely due to migration and economic opportunities in the region. Reading has experienced significant growth due to its reputation as a technology and business hub.<ref>"Census Data for Berkshire." Office for National Statistics, 2022.</ref>

In 1831, there were 146,234 people living in Berkshire; by 1901 the population had risen to 252,571 (of whom 122,807 were male and 129,764 were female). Below were the largest immigrant groups in 2011.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Country of Birth
! Immigrants in Berkshire (2011 Census)
|-
|India
|23,660
|-
|Pakistan
|17,590
|-
|Poland
|16,435
|-
|Ireland
|7,629
|-
|South Africa
|6,221
|-
|Germany
|5,328
|-
|Kenya
|4,617
|-
|China
|4,242
|-
|Zimbabwe
|4,043
|-
|United States
|3,509
|}

==Governance==
{{Main|Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire|High Sheriff of Berkshire|counties of England}}

Berkshire is a [[ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] and [[non-metropolitan county]]. It is divided into six districts administered by [[unitary authorities]]. [[Berkshire County Council]] existed from 1889 until its abolition in 1998. The ceremonial county has a [[Lord Lieutenant]] and a [[High Sheriff]]. The [[Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire]] is Andrew Try, and the [[High Sheriff of Berkshire]] for 2018/19 was Graham Barker.{{update inline|date=April 2024}}

The six unitary councils formed a joint Berkshire Prosperity Board<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.westberks.gov.uk/article/43035/First-Berkshire-Prosperity-Board-meeting-to-be-held | title=First Berkshire Prosperity Board meeting to be held }}</ref> in February 2024 and submitted an expression of interest in forming a non-mayoral [[combined authority]] in September 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/devolution-and-economic-growth/six-unitaries-opt-for-non-mayoral-devolution-deal-17-09-2024/ | title=Six unitaries bid for non-mayoral devolution deal | date=17 September 2024 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Berkshire districts{{See also|List of English districts by population}}
!District
!Main towns
!Population<br />(2007 estimate)<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Mid_2007_UK_England_&_Wales_Scotland_and_Northern_Ireland%20_21_08_08.zip] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728154121/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Mid_2007_UK_England_%26_Wales_Scotland_and_Northern_Ireland%20_21_08_08.zip|date=28 July 2011}}</ref>
!Area
!Population<br />density (2007)
|-
|[[Bracknell Forest]]||[[Bracknell]], [[Sandhurst, Berkshire|Sandhurst]]||113,696||109.38&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>|| 1038/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]]||Reading||155,300||40.40&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>
||3557/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Borough of Slough|Slough]]||[[Langley, Berkshire|Langley]]||140,200||53.89&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>||2601/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[West Berkshire]]||[[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]], [[Thatcham]]||150,700||704.17&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>||214/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead|Windsor and Maidenhead]]||[[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]], [[Maidenhead]]||104,000||198.43&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>||711/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Borough of Wokingham|Wokingham]]||[[Wokingham]], [[Twyford, Berkshire|Twyford]]||88,600||178.98&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>||875/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
!Total (Ceremonial)!!N/A!!752,436!!1264&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>!!643/km<sup>2</sup>
|}

===Local===
As of the 2023 local elections, [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] groups of local councillors run the unitary authorities of [[West Berkshire]], [[Windsor and Maidenhead]] and [[Wokingham (district)|Wokingham]] (in coalition with the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]) with employed executives, whereas [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] local councillors run both [[Bracknell Forest]] and [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]], with [[Slough]] being run by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]].

===Parliament===
{{See also|List of parliamentary constituencies in Berkshire}}
After the [[2024 United Kingdom general election]], 5 of the elected [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs) were Labour, 3 Lib Dem and one conservative.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Constituency !! style="background:#39f; color:white;"| Conservative !! style="background:orange; color:white;"| Liberal Democrat !! style="background:#f66; color:white;"| Labour !! style="background:#c9f;"| Reform UK !! style="background:#3f3;"| Green !! Others !! Winner !! ''Turnout''
|-
| Bracknell || 13,999 (31.9%) || 4,768 (10.9%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| 14,783 (33.7%) || 7,445 (17.0%) || 2,166 (4.9%) || 480 (1.1%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| Labour || 43,641
|-
| Maidenhead || 18,932 (37.6%) || style="background:orange; color:white;"| 21,895 (43.5%) || 5,766 (11.5%) || – || 1,996 (4.0%) || 791 (1.6%) || style="background:orange; color:white;"| Lib Dem || 49,380
|-
| Newbury || 17,268 (35.3%) || style="background:orange; color:white;"| 19,645 (40.1%) || 3,662 (7.5%) || 5,357 (10.9%) || 2,714 (5.5%) || 153 (0.3%) || style="background:orange; color:white;"| Lib Dem || 48,799
|-
| Reading Central || 8,961 (19.8%) || 3,963 (8.8%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| 21,598 (47.7%) || 3,904 (8.6%) || 6,417 (14.2%) || 227 (0.5%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| Labour || 45,070
|-
| Earley and Woodley || 17,361 (37.8%) || 6,142 (13.4%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| 18,209 (39.7%) || – || 3,418 (7.4%) || 784 (1.7%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| Labour || 45,914
|-
| Slough || 7,457 (17.2%) || 2,060 (4.8%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| 14,666 (33.9%) || 3,352 (7.7%) || 1,873 (4.3%) || 995 (2.3%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| Labour || 43,178
|-
| Windsor || style="background:#39f; color:white;"| 16,483 (36.4%) || 9,539 (21.1%) || 10,026 (22.2%) || 4,660 (10.3%) || 2,288 (5.1%) || 1,629 (3.6%) || style="background:#39f; color:white;"| Conservative || 44,625
|-
| Wokingham || 17,398 (32.2%) || style="background:orange; color:white;"| 25,743 (47.7%) || 3,631 (6.7%) || 5,274 (9.8%) || 1,953 (3.6%) || – || style="background:orange; color:white;"| Lib Dem || 54,999
|-
| Reading West and Mid Berkshire || 14,912 (32.0%) || 5,103 (11.0%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| 16,273 (35.0%) || 6,260 (13.4%) || 3,169 (6.8%) || 834 (1.8%) || style="background:#f66; color:white;"| Labour || 46,609
|-
| Total Votes || 146,770 || 99,858 || 109,686 || 39,896 || 25,994 || 5,893 || 5 Labour, 3 Lib Dem, 1 Conservative || Total: 422,215
|}
The prime minister between 2016–19, [[Theresa May]] represented [[Maidenhead (UK Parliament constituency)|Maidenhead]].

==Economy==
This is a chart of trend of regional gross [[value added]] of Berkshire at current basic prices published by the ''Office for National Statistics'' with figures in millions of British [[pounds sterling]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf |title=UK Government Web Archive – The National Archives |website=www.statistics.gov.uk |pages=240–253 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728091019/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf |archive-date=28 July 2011}}</ref>
{| 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

===Industry===
[[File:Oracle at Thames Valley Park.jpg|thumb|The [[Oracle Corporation]] campus]]
[[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] has a historical involvement in the information technology industry, largely as a result of the early presence in the town of sites of [[International Computers Limited]] and [[Digital Equipment Corporation|Digital]]. These companies have been swallowed by other groups, but their descendants, [[Fujitsu]] and [[Hewlett-Packard]] respectively, still have local operations. More recently [[Microsoft]] and [[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]] have established multi-building campuses on the outskirts of Reading. Other technology companies with a presence in the town include [[Huawei Technologies]], [[Agilent Technologies]], [[Audio & Design (Recording) Ltd]], [[Bang & Olufsen]], [[Cisco Systems|Cisco]], [[Comptel]], [[Ericsson]], [[Harris Corporation]], [[Intel Corporation|Intel]], [[Nvidia]], [[Rockwell Collins]], [[Sage Group|Sage]], [[Silicon Graphics|SGI]], [[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]], [[Symbol Technologies]], [[Verizon Business]], [[Virgin Media O2]], [[Websense]], [[Xansa]] (now [[Sopra Steria]]), and [[Xerox]]. The financial company [[ING Direct]] has its headquarters in Reading, as does the directories company [[Hibu]]. The insurance company [[Prudential plc|Prudential]] has an administration centre in the town. [[PepsiCo]] and [[Holiday Inn]] have offices. As with most major cities, Reading also has offices of the [[Big Four accounting firms]] [[Deloitte]], [[Ernst & Young]], [[KPMG]] and [[PricewaterhouseCoopers]]. The 110-year old charity, Berkshire Vision is also located within Reading city centre.

[[File:Aerial View of Slough Trading Estate.JPG|thumb|right|[[Slough Trading Estate]] plays a major part in making Slough a business centre in South East England]]

The global headquarters of [[Reckitt Benckiser]] and the UK headquarters of [[Mars, Incorporated]] are based in [[Slough]]. The European head offices of major IT companies [[BlackBerry (company)|BlackBerry]], [[CA Technologies]], are in the town. The town is home to the [[National Foundation for Educational Research]], which is housed in The Mere. Other major brands with offices in the town include [[Nintendo]], [[Black & Decker]], [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], [[HTC]], [[SSE plc]] and [[Abbey Business Centres]].<ref>[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=502584 Location of registered office of Amazon.co.uk Ltd] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707200440/https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=502584 |date=7 July 2017 }}. Retrieved 27 December 2008.</ref> [[Dulux]] paints were manufactured in Slough by [[AkzoNobel]], which bought [[Imperial Chemical Industries]] in 2008. Manufacturing ceased in 2018 with operations moving elsewhere, however the UK headquarters is still based there.

[[Bracknell]] is a base for high-tech industries, with the presence of companies such as [[Panasonic]], [[Fujitsu]] (formerly [[International Computers Limited|ICL]]) and [[Fujitsu-Siemens Computers]], [[Dell]], [[Hewlett-Packard]], [[Siemens]] (originally [[Nixdorf Computer|Nixdorf]]), [[Honeywell]], [[Cable & Wireless Communications|Cable & Wireless]], [[Avnet|Avnet Technology Solutions]] and [[Novell]].<ref>"Berkshire's Tech Corridor." TechUK Report, 2021.</ref> Firms spread into the surrounding [[Thames Valley]] or [[M4 corridor]], attracting [[Information Technology|IT]] firms such as [[Cable & Wireless Communications|Cable & Wireless]], [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] (subsequently [[Hewlett-Packard]]), [[Microsoft]], [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp Telecommunications]], [[Oracle Corporation]], [[Sun Microsystems]] and [[Cognos]]. Bracknell is home to the central [[Waitrose]] distribution centre and head office, which is on a {{cvt|70|acre|m2|adj=on}} site on the Southern Industrial Estate. Waitrose has operated from the town since the 1970s. The town is also home to the UK headquarters of [[Honda]] and [[BMW]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk |title=Companies House |work=companieshouse.gov.uk |access-date=4 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629012709/http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/ |archive-date=29 June 2008 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

[[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]] is home to the world headquarters of the [[mobile network operator]] [[Vodafone]], which is the town's largest employer with over 6,000 people. Before moving to their £129&nbsp;million headquarters in the outskirts of the town in 2002, Vodafone used 64 buildings spread across the town centre.<ref>{{cite news |work=vnunet.com |title=How Vodafone moved to a mobile environment |url=http://www.vnunet.com/computing/features/2072443/vodafone-moved-mobile-environment |date=24 September 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930201155/http://www.vnunet.com/computing/features/2072443/vodafone-moved-mobile-environment |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> As well as Vodafone, Newbury is also home to [[National Instruments]], [[Micro Focus]], [[EValue]], NTS Express Road Haulage, [[Jokers' Masquerade]] and [[Quantel]]. It also is home to the [[Newbury Building Society]], which operates in the region.

In [[Compton, Berkshire|Compton]], a small village, roughly 10 miles from [[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]], a chemical manufacturing company called Carbosynth was founded, in 2006. Since 2019, it has merged with a Swiss company called Biosynth AG to form a key global organisation within the [[fine chemical]] industry and operates under name Biosynth Carbosynth<sup>®</sup>.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.biosynth-carbosynth.com/ |title=Biosynth Carbosynth |access-date=15 April 2021 |archive-date=20 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920051927/https://www.carbosynth.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Biosynth Carbosynth, along with its acquired companies, vivitide and Pepscan rebranded to Biosynth in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-07 |title=Biosynth Carbosynth, vivitide and Pepscan Rebrand to Biosynth |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220907005066/en/Biosynth-Carbosynth-vivitide-and-Pepscan-Rebrand-to-Biosynth |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}}</ref>

[[Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow Airport]], in the neighbouring London Borough of Hillingdon, is a major contributor to the economy of [[Slough]] in east Berkshire.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Parsons Brinckerhoff and Berkeley Hanover Consulting |title=Heathrow employment impact on Slough |url=http://www.slough.gov.uk/downloads/Heathrow-Employment-Impact-Slough.pdf |publisher=Slough Borough Council |access-date=15 March 2018 |page=35 |date=3 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104105453/http://www.slough.gov.uk/downloads/Heathrow-Employment-Impact-Slough.pdf |archive-date=4 November 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Agricultural produce===
[[Abingdon Abbey]] once had dairy-based [[monastic grange|granges]] in the south-east of the county,{{Citation needed|date=October 2015}} [[Red Windsor (Cheese)|Red Windsor cheese]] was developed with red marbling. Some Berkshire cheeses are Wigmore, [[Waterloo Cheese|Waterloo]] and Spenwood (named after [[Spencers Wood]]) in [[Riseley, Berkshire|Riseley]];<ref>{{cite web |title=Village Maid Cheese |url=http://www.villagemaidcheese.co.uk/ |work=villagemaidcheese.co.uk |access-date=8 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218184305/http://villagemaidcheese.co.uk/ |archive-date=18 December 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> and Barkham Blue, Barkham Chase and Loddon Blewe at [[Barkham]].

==Media==
Local news and television programmes are covered by [[BBC South]] and [[ITV Meridian]] for the [[Thames Valley]] from the [[Hannington transmitting station|Hannington]] TV transmitter. Those parts of Berkshire closest to London such as [[Maidenhead]], [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]] and [[Slough]], receive [[BBC London]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ukfree.tv/maps/bbc/4 |title=BBC London |publisher=UK Free TV |access-date=19 November 2022}}</ref> and [[ITV London]] from the [[Crystal Palace transmitting station|Crystal Palace]] TV transmitter.

The county’s local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Berkshire]], [[Heart South]] and [[Greatest Hits Radio South|Greatest Hits Radio Berkshire & North Hampshire]].

==Sport==

===Horse racing===
[[File:Royal-Ascot18.jpg|thumb|left|The grandstand at [[Ascot Racecourse]]]]
Berkshire hosts more [[Conditions races|Group 1]] flat horse races than any other county. [[Ascot Racecourse]] is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 13 of the UK's 35 annual Group 1 races. The course is closely associated with the [[British Royal Family]], being approximately {{cvt|6|mi|km|0}} from [[Windsor Castle]], and owned by the [[Crown Estate]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Crown Estate Profile |url=http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/15_our_portfolio/64_windsor_and_other_traditional_holdings.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305234728/http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/15_our_portfolio/64_windsor_and_other_traditional_holdings.htm |archive-date=5 March 2012}}</ref>

Ascot today stages twenty-five days of racing over the course of the year, comprising sixteen [[Flat racing|flat meetings]] held between May and October. The Royal Meeting, held in June, remains a major draw; the highlight is the [[Ascot Gold Cup]]. The most prestigious race is the [[King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes]] run in July.

[[Newbury Racecourse]] is in the [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] of [[Greenham]], adjoining the town of Newbury. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 32 Group 1 races, the [[Lockinge Stakes]]. It also hosts the [[Ladbrokes Trophy]], which is said to be the biggest handicap race of the National Hunt season apart from the [[Grand National]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uk-racing-results.com/hennessy-gold-cup.php |title=Hennessy Gold Cup Winners |publisher=Moneta Communications Ltd (www.uk-racing-results.com) |access-date=11 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222130323/http://www.uk-racing-results.com/hennessy-gold-cup.php |archive-date=22 December 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

[[Windsor Racecourse]], also known as Royal Windsor Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]]. It is one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the United Kingdom. (The other is at [[Fontwell Park Racecourse|Fontwell Park]]). It abandoned National Hunt jump racing in December 1998, switching entirely to flat racing.

[[Lambourn]] also has a rich history in horse racing, the well drained, spongy grass, open downs and long flats make the [[Lambourn Downs]] ideal for training racehorses. This area of West Berkshire is the largest centre of racehorse training in the UK after [[Newmarket, Suffolk|Newmarket]], and is known as the 'Valley of the Racecourse'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home - LAMBOURN.INFO |url=http://www.lambourn.info/ |website=www.lambourn.info |access-date=2015-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109013543/http://www.lambourn.info/ |archive-date=9 January 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Football===
[[File:Madejski Stadium - geograph.org.uk - 3023491.jpg|thumb|right|The Select Car Leasing Stadium in Reading]]
[[Reading F.C.]] is the only Berkshire football club to play professional [[association football|football]]. Despite being founded in 1871, the club did not join the [[Football League]] until 1920, and first played in the top tier of English football in the [[2006–07 in English football|2006–07 season]].

Newbury was home to [[A.F.C. Newbury]], which was one of only two football clubs to be sponsored by Vodafone (the other being [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]). In 2006 Vodafone ended its sponsorship of the club,<ref>{{cite news |title=Vodafone ends AFC Newbury deal |publisher=Newbury Weekly News |url=http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article.aspx?articleID=2242 |date=23 May 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203062511/http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article.aspx?articleID=2242 |archive-date=3 December 2007 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> following which the club collapsed. A local pub team from the Old London Apprentice took over the ground temporarily and now compete in the [[Hellenic Football League]] as [[Newbury F.C.]]

There are several amateur and semi-professional football clubs in the county. These include [[Maidenhead United]], [[Slough Town F.C.|Slough Town]], [[Hungerford Town F.C.|Hungerford Town]], [[Thatcham Town F.C.|Thatcham Town]], [[Ascot United F.C.|Ascot United]], [[A.F.C. Aldermaston]], [[Sandhurst Town F.C.|Sandhurst Town]], [[Windsor F.C. (2011)|Windsor F.C.]], [[Wokingham & Emmbrook F.C.]], [[Bracknell Town F.C.]] and [[Reading City F.C.|Reading City]].

===Rugby===
Reading is a centre for [[rugby union|rugby union football]]. The [[Premiership Rugby|Premiership]] team [[London Irish]] were for 20 years tenants at the [[Madejski Stadium]] before their move back to SW London at a new stadium in Brentford.

Newbury's [[rugby union]] club, [[Newbury R.F.C.]] (the Newbury 'Blues'), is based in the town. In the 2004–05 season, the club finished second in the National Two division earning promotion to National One. Newbury had previously won National Four South (now renamed as National Three South) in 1996–97 with a 100% win record. In 2010–11 the club finished bottom of National League 2S,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/tables/4777175.stm |work=BBC News |title=National League 2S table |date=9 August 2006 |access-date=11 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820194220/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/tables/4777175.stm |archive-date=20 August 2007 | url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> with a single win and twenty-nine defeats. The club was founded in 1928 and in 1996 moved to a new purpose-built ground at Monks Lane,<ref>{{cite news |title=''Rugby at its best'' |work=Newbury Weekly News Advertiser |url=http://www.newburyrfc.co.uk/NRFC%20wrap.pdf |date=October 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320143622/http://www.newburyrfc.co.uk/NRFC%20wrap.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2009 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> which has since hosted England U21 fixtures.

===Ice hockey===
The [[Bracknell Bees|Bracknell Bees Ice Hockey Club]] are former national champions, who play in the [[English Premier Ice Hockey League|English Premier League]].

[[Slough Jets]] also play in the [[English Premier Ice Hockey League|English Premier League]] winning the title in 2007. [[Slough Jets]] also won the play-offs in 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10 & 2011–12. They also won the EPIH Cup in 2010–11. Slough Jets have been in the EPIHL since 1999.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

===Hockey===
Phoenix Reading Hockey Club, based at Reading University, has six adult teams and a large junior development section.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Phoenix Reading Hockey Club | url=https://www.prhockeyclub.co.uk/ | access-date=2024-09-09}}</ref> Reading Hockey Club and Sonning Hockey Club are situated close to each other near Blue Coats School.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Reading Hockey Club | url=https://www.readinghockeyclub.org.uk | access-date=2024-09-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=Sonning Hockey Club | url=https://www.sonninghockeyclub.co.uk | access-date=2024-09-09}}</ref> Slough Hockey Club is home to the Slough Ladies 1XI who play in the Women's Premier League, with five adult teams.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Slough Hockey Club | url=https://sloughhockeyclub.co.uk | access-date=2024-09-09}}</ref> In 2016, Bracknell and Wokingham Hockey Clubs merged to form South Berkshire Hockey Club. The team plays at Cantley Park in Wokingham and occasionally at Birch Hill, Bracknell.<ref>{{Cite web | title=South Berkshire Hockey Club | url=https://www.southberkshirehockeyclub.org.uk/| access-date=2024-09-09}}</ref> Other hockey teams in the county include Tadley, Yateley, Maidenhead, Windsor, and Newbury & Thatcham Hockey Clubs.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Tadley Hockey Club | url=https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/tadleyhc | access-date=2024-09-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=Newbury & Thatcham Hockey Club | url=https://www.nt-hc.org/ | access-date=2024-09-09}}</ref>

==Education==
Berkshire is home to the following universities: the [[University of Reading]] (which includes the [[Henley Business School]]), [[Imperial College]] ([[Silwood Park]] Campus), and the [[University of West London]]. It is also home to [[The Chartered Institute of Marketing]], prestigious independent schools [[Ludgrove School]], [[Eton College]] and [[Wellington College, Berkshire|Wellington College]], and several grammar schools including [[Reading School]], [[Kendrick School]] and [[Herschel Grammar School]].

==Towns and villages==
''See the [[List of places in Berkshire]], [[List of settlements in Berkshire by population]] and the [[List of civil parishes in Berkshire]]''

==Notable people==
{{See also|List of people from Reading, Berkshire|List of people from Slough, Berkshire}}
[[File:King Edward III from NPG.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Edward III of England|King Edward III of England]]]]
[[File:Catherine Elizabeth Middleton (colorized).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Catherine, [[Catherine, Princess of Wales|Princess of Wales]]]]
[[File:Ricky Gervais 2010.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Ricky Gervais]]]]
Berkshire has many notable people associated with it.

*[[Henry I of England|King Henry I of England]] (1068/1069–1135; founded and buried at [[Reading Abbey]])
*[[Edward III of England|King Edward III of England]] (born 1312–1377; one of the most successful [[List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of England|English monarchs]] of the [[Britain in the Middle Ages|Middle Ages]])
*[[Henry VI of England|King Henry VI of England]] (1421–1471; King of England, born at [[Windsor Castle|Windsor]])
*[[Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale|Prince Albert Victor]] (1864–1892; eldest son of [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Albert Edward, Prince of Wales]], later King Edward VII)
*[[Catherine, Princess of Wales]] (born 1982; spouse of [[William, Prince of Wales]])
*[[Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth|Henry Addington, Viscount Sidmouth]] (1757–1844; former prime minister; donor of land for [[Royal Berkshire Hospital]])<ref name=rlgp>{{cite web |url=http://www.readinglibraries.org.uk/services/local/greatpeople.htm |title=Reading's Great People |publisher=Reading Borough Libraries |access-date=4 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101003022409/http://www.readinglibraries.org.uk/services/local/greatpeople.htm |archive-date=3 October 2010 |df=dmy}}</ref>
*[[George Alexander (actor)|George Alexander]] (1858–1918; actor and theatre manager)
*[[Jane Austen]] (1775–1817; author)
*[[Francis Baily]] (1774–1844; astronomer)
*[[Lucy Benjamin]] (born 1970; actress)
*[[Michael Bond]] (1926–2017; author, creator of [[Paddington Bear]])
*[[Michael Parkinson]]  (1935–2023)
*[[Kenneth Branagh]] (born 1960; actor & film director)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.branaghcompendium.com/conspiracy.html |title=The Kenneth Branagh Compendium: Conspiracy |access-date=8 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225053753/http://www.branaghcompendium.com/conspiracy.html |archive-date=25 February 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Charlie Brooker]] (born 1971; journalist)
*[[Richard Burns]] (1971–2005; rally driver)<ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Burns |publisher=Richard Burns Foundation |url=http://www.richardburnsfoundation.com/about-us/richard-burns/ |access-date=9 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715182909/http://www.richardburnsfoundation.com/about-us/richard-burns/ |archive-date=15 July 2011 |df=dmy}}</ref>
*[[David Cameron]] (born 1966; former prime minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] from December 2005 to July 2016)
*[[Jimmy Carr]] (born 1972; comedian)
*[[Emilia Clarke]] (born 1986; actress)
*[[Emma Crosby]] (1977; television presenter)
*[[Natalie Dormer]] (born 1982; actress, screenwriter, producer)
*[[Polly Elwes]] (1928–1987; television reporter and announcer)
*[[Uri Geller]] (born 1946; mentalist)
*[[Ricky Gervais]] (born 1961; comedian)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/5158001/Ricky-Gervais-Grumpy-middle-aged-man.html |title=Ricky Gervais: Grumpy middle-aged man |first=Nigel |last=Farndale |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=19 April 2009 |access-date=16 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005072310/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/5158001/Ricky-Gervais-Grumpy-middle-aged-man.html |archive-date=5 October 2010 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Dani Harmer]] (born 1989; actress)
*[[Chesney Hawkes]] (born 1971; pop singer)
*[[Lenny Henry]] (born 1958; comedian)
*[[Daniel Howell]] (born 1991; professional [[video blog|vlogger]] and [[BBC Radio 1]] presenter)
*[[Max & Harvey]] (born 2002; twin musicians, [[CBBC]] presenters and social-media stars)
*[[Nicholas Hoult]] (born 1989; actor)
*[[Kate Humble]] (born 1968; television presenter)
*[[Joseph Huntley]] (born 1775; innovative biscuit maker; founder of [[Huntley & Palmers]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/radstock/rht/themes/manufacture/handp.html |title=Huntley and Palmers |work=Reading History Trail |access-date=16 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117130121/http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/radstock/rht/themes/manufacture/handp.html |archive-date=17 January 2010}}</ref>
*[[Elton John]] (born 1947; lives in [[Old Windsor]])
*[[Peter Jones (entrepreneur)|Peter Jones]] (born 1966; entrepreneur)
*[[John Kendrick (cloth merchant)|John Kendrick]] (1573–1624; merchant and mayor)<ref name=rlgp/>
*[[William Laud]] (1573–1645; former [[archbishop of Canterbury]])<ref name=rlgp/>
*[[Suzanna Leigh]] (born 1945; actress)
*[[Jeremy Kyle]] (born 1965; British radio and television presenter, best known for hosting his own daytime show ''[[The Jeremy Kyle Show]]'')
*[[Lesley Langley]] (Miss United Kingdom 1965 and Miss World 1965)
*[[Camilla Luddington]] (born 1983; actress)
*[[John Madejski]] (born 1941; entrepreneur and philanthropist)<ref>{{cite news |date=9 December 2006 |url=http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/comment/article2060012.ece |title=John Madejski: 'Without deep pockets you are wasting your time' |work=The Independent |location=London |access-date=17 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224113915/http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/comment/article2060012.ece |archive-date=24 December 2007}}</ref>
*[[Sam Mendes]] (born 1965; director)<ref>{{cite web |title=Sam Mendes Biography |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/67/Sam-Mendes.html |work=filmreference |year=2008 |access-date=17 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214203525/http://www.filmreference.com/film/67/Sam-Mendes.html |archive-date=14 February 2010 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Tony McCoy|A. P. McCoy]] (born 1974; jockey and winner of the [[2010 Grand National]] and the [[BBC Sports Personality of the Year|2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year]])
*[[William Penn]] (1644–1718; founder of [[Pennsylvania]])<ref>{{cite journal |title=William Penn and the Society of Friends at Reading |journal=The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography |pages=37–49 |publisher=Historical Society of Pennsylvania |jstor=20083177 |first=M.A. |last=Faber |volume=11 |issue=1 |date=April 1887}}</ref>
*[[Alexander Pope]] (1688–1744; poet)
*[[Alexander Prior]] (born 1992; composer and conductor)
*[[Lawrie Sanchez]] (born 1959; former footballer and manager)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/4776680/Sanchez-eager-to-graduate-with-honours.html |title=Sanchez eager to graduate with honours |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |first=Steve |last=Thompson |date=8 April 2001 |access-date=3 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112115434/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/4776680/Sanchez-eager-to-graduate-with-honours.html |archive-date=12 November 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Ayrton Senna]] (1960–1994; racing driver, [[Formula One]] champion)<ref>For a short period during the early stages of his career, he lived in Tilehurst. Following his death, a street was named in his memory. See {{cite web |publisher=Streetmap.co.uk |url=http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=466166&Y=173098&A=Y&Z=1 |title=Ayrton Senna Road, Tilehurst, Reading |access-date=1 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930220202/http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M%3FX=466166&Y=173098&A=Y&Z=1 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Mark Stephens (solicitor)|Mark Stephens]] (born [[Old Windsor]] 1957), solicitor and broadcaster, mediator, writer, educator and patron of the arts 
*[[Jethro Tull (agriculturist)|Jethro Tull]] (1674–1741; agriculturist)
*[[Chris Tarrant]] (born 1946; radio broadcaster and host of ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (UK game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?]]'')<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/chris-tarrant-confident-695677.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20081216135044/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/chris-tarrant-confident-695677.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 December 2008 |title=Chris Tarrant: Confident? |work=The Independent |location=London |date=8 January 2001 |first=Deborah |last=Ross |access-date=8 May 2010}}</ref>
*[[James Towillis]], English landscape artist<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/chelsea/show-gardens/loccitane-garden.shtml |title=BBC - Chelsea Flower Show 2010 - The L'Occitane Garden by James Towillis |access-date=18 October 2021 |archive-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230191543/http://www.bbc.co.uk/chelsea/show-gardens/loccitane-garden.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Theo Walcott]] (born 1989; footballer, originally for [[A.F.C. Newbury]])
*[[Neil Webb]] (born 1963; professional footballer)<ref>{{cite web |title=Neil Webb Profile and Career |url=https://www.fastscore.com/people/neil-webb |work=FastScore.com |access-date=11 October 2020 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=20 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920051904/https://www.fastscore.com/people/neil-webb |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Oscar Wilde]] (1854–1900; poet and playwright, author of ''[[The Ballad of Reading Gaol]]'', and prisoner in [[Reading (HM Prison)|Reading Gaol]])<ref name=rlgp/>
*[[Kate Winslet]] (born 1975; actress)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kate Winslet {{!}} Biography, Movies, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kate-Winslet |access-date=2022-01-03 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=3 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103230048/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kate-Winslet |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Will Young]] (born 1979; singer-songwriter)
*[[Jeff Dodds]] (born 1973; chief executive office of [[Formula E]])

==Places of interest==
{{EngPlacesKey|align=right}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=40em|
*[[Basildon Park]] [[File:NTE icon.svg|National Trust]] [[File:EH icon.svg|English Heritage]]
*[[Beale Park]]
*[[Berkshire Downs]] [[File:UKAL icon.svg |accessible open space]]
*[[Bisham Abbey]] [[File:HH icon.svg|Historic house]]
*[[Blake's Lock#Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock|Blake's Lock]] [[File:Museum icon.svg|Museum (free)]]
*[[California, Berkshire|California Country Park]] [[File:CP icon.svg|Country park]]
*[[Calleva Atrebatum]] [[File:UKAL icon.svg |accessible open space]] [[File:EH icon.svg|English Heritage]]
*[[Combe Gibbet]] [[File:UKAL icon.svg |accessible open space]]
*[[Donnington Castle]] [[File:CL icon.svg|Castle]] [[File:EH icon.svg|English Heritage]]
*[[Eagle House School]]
*[[Eton College]]
*[[Frogmore|Frogmore House]] [[File:HH icon.svg|Historic house]]
*[[Greenham Common]] [[File:UKAL icon.svg |accessible open space]]
*[[Highclere Castle]] [[File:HH icon.svg|Historic house]]
*[[Lardon Chase, the Holies and Lough Down]] [[File:NTE icon.svg|National Trust]]
*[[The Living Rainforest]] [[File:Zoo icon.jpg|20px]]
*[[LEGOLAND Windsor|Legoland Windsor]] [[File:Themepark uk icon.png|15px|Theme Park]]
*[[Museum of English Rural Life]] [[File:Museum icon.svg|Museum (free)]]
*[[Museum of Reading]] [[File:Museum icon.svg|Museum (free)]]
*[[North Wessex Downs]] [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] [[File:UKAL icon.svg |accessible open space]]
*[[Reading Abbey]]
*[[Reading School]] [[Grade II listed building designed by Alfred Waterhouse]]
*[[River Thames]] [[File:UKAL icon.svg |accessible open space]]
*[[Shaw House, Berkshire|Shaw House]] [[File:EH icon.svg|English Heritage]]
*[[Slough Museum]] [[File:Museum icon.svg|Museum (free)]]
*[[Stanlake Park Wine Estate]] [[File:HH icon.svg|Historic house]]
*[[The Ridgeway]] [[File:UKAL icon.svg |accessible open space]]
*[[Walbury Hill]] [[File:UKAL icon.svg |accessible open space]]
*[[Watermill Theatre]]
*[[Welford Park]] [[File:HH icon.svg|Historic house]]
*[[Wellington College, Berkshire]]
*[[West Berkshire Museum]] [[File:Museum icon.svg|Museum (free)]]
*[[Windsor Castle]] [[File:EH icon.svg|English Heritage]] [[File:CL icon.svg|Castle]]
*[[Windsor Great Park]] [[File:CP icon.svg|Country park]]
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Berkshire}}
*[[Berkshire (UK Parliament constituency)]]
*[[Berkshire Record Office]]
*[[Custos Rotulorum of Berkshire]]

==Notes==
{{Noteslist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{EB1911 |wstitle=Berkshire |volume= |pages=782–784 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Berkshire}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire BBC Berkshire website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130525034835/http://www.uk-web-index.co.uk/countyphotos/Berkshire/0/0/ Photographs of Berkshire]
*[http://www.berkshireenclosure.org.uk Berkshire Enclosure Maps] Digital copies of Berkshire enclosure maps and awards 1738–1883
*{{cite web |title=Victoria County History: Berkshire |publisher=British History Online |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/subject.aspx?subject=5&gid=2 |access-date=13 July 2009}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120907195225/http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/results.aspx?index=0 Images of Berkshire] at the [[English Heritage Archive]]
{{Geographic location
|title     = '''Neighbouring counties'''
|Centre    = Berkshire
|North     = [[Oxfordshire]], Buckinghamshire
|Northeast = [[Buckinghamshire]]
|East      = [[Greater London]]
|Southeast = [[Surrey]]
|South     = [[Hampshire]]
|Southwest = [[Wiltshire]]
|West      = [[Wiltshire]]
|Northwest = [[Wiltshire]]
}}

{{England counties}}
{{Berkshire}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Berkshire| ]]
[[Category:Non-metropolitan counties]]
[[Category:South East England]]
[[Category:Places with royal patronage in England]]
[[Category:Ceremonial counties of England]]
[[Category:Home counties]]
[[Category:Counties of England established in antiquity]]