"Berks" redirects here. For the county in Pennsylvania, see Berks County, Pennsylvania. Berks County is a County located in the US state of Pennsylvania.

Berkshire
Motto of County Council: Dieu et mon droit!
Shown within England
Geography
Status	Non-metropolitan & Ceremonial county
Origin	Historic
Region	South East England
Area - Total	Ranked 40th 1,262 km² (487 sq mi)
ISO 3166-2	GB-WBK
ONS code	Formerly 10
NUTS 3	UKJ11
Demography
Population - Total (2005) - Density	Ranked 26th 812,200 643/km² (1,665/sq mi)
Ethnicity	88. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A non-metropolitan county or shire county in England, is a county-level entity which is not a Metropolitan county. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Area. See also Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. ISO 3166-2GB is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United Kingdom. The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, ( NUTS) for the French nomenclature d'unités territoriales statistiques, is a Geocode In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Population. 7% White 6. 8% S. Asian 2. 0% Black.
Politics
No county council since 1998. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County.
Executive
Members of Parliament	Adam Afriyie (C) Richard Benyon (C) Andrew Mackay (C) Fiona Mactaggart (L) Theresa May (C) John Redwood (C) Martin Salter (L) Rob Wilson (C)
Districts
West Berkshire (Unitary) Reading (Unitary) Wokingham (Unitary) Bracknell Forest (Unitary) Windsor and Maidenhead (Unitary) Slough (Unitary)

Berkshire (pronounced /ˈbɑːkʃə/ or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say: Baak-shuh/-sheer); sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South East of England. Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons Adam Afriyie (born 4 August 1965 is a British politician and Conservative Member of Parliament for Windsor. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Richard Henry Ronald Benyon ( 4 September 1960) British Politician and is the Conservative MP for Newbury. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Andrew James MacKay (born 27 August 1949 Birmingham) is a British Conservative Party politician and currently the Member of Parliament (MP The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Fiona Margaret Mactaggart (born 12 September 1953, Glasgow) is a politician in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Theresa Mary May (born in Eastbourne, Sussex, England, on 1 October 1956 as Theresa Mary Brasier) is a British The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. John Alan Redwood (born 15 June 1951 in Dover, Kent) is a British Conservative Party Politician and Member The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Martin John Salter (born 19 April 1954 in Hampton, in west London) is a United Kingdom politician The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Robert Wilson (born 4 January 1965 in south Oxfordshire) is a United Kingdom politician and entrepreneur The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. History The district of Newbury was formed on April 1, 1974, as a merger of the borough of Newbury Bradfield Rural District, Hungerford Rural Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between History Bracknell Forest was formed on April 1 1974, as the non-metropolitan district of Bracknell. Towns and villages The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead contains the following towns and villages Ascot Bray Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. " Home counties " is an informal phrase used to designate the group of counties that border or surround London, England. The counties of England are territorial divisions of England for the purposes of administrative political and geographical demarcation South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland 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. Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited Castle in the world and dating back to the time of Letters patent are a type of Legal instrument in the form of an Open letter issued by a Monarch or Government, granting an office right ^[1]

The county town is Reading (formerly Abingdon), although Berkshire is now split into several unitary authorities which have their own councils. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions

Berkshire borders the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Greater London. History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England.

Contents 1 History 2 Economy 3 Geology, landscape and ecology 4 Sport 5 Demographics 6 Politics 7 Places of interest 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

History

The county is one of the oldest in England. It may date from the 840s, the probable period of the unification of "Sunningum" (East Berkshire) and "Ashdown" (the Berkshire Downs, probably including the Kennet Valley). Sonning (occasionally called Sonning-on-Thames) is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, a few miles 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 word meaning "hilly"). Asser (d 908/909 was a Welsh Monk from St David's, Dyfed, who became Bishop of Sherborne in the 890s The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family.

Berkshire has been the scene of many battles throughout history, during Alfred the Great's campaign against the Danes, including the Battle of Englefield, the Battle of Ashdown and the Battle of Reading. Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c Englefield is a Village and Civil parish in Berkshire, England, mostly within the bounds of the private walled estate of Englefield House The Battle of Ashdown, in Berkshire (possibly the part now in Oxfordshire) took place on 8 January 871. See also Siege of Reading (1642-1643 Battle of Reading (1688 The first Battle of Reading was a Battle on During the English Civil War there were two battles in Newbury. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Newbury is a Civil parish and the principal Town in the west of the County of Berkshire in England. During the Glorious Revolution of 1688, there was a second Battle at Reading, also known as the "Battle of Broad Street". The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II of England (VII of Scotland in 1688 by a union See also Battle of Reading (871, Siege of Reading (1642-1643 The Battle of Reading (or Battle of Broad Street or

Reading became the new county town in 1867, taking over from Abingdon [1] which remained in the county. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between 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. The Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict c 41 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1888 and established County councils and County borough The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were periodic courts held in each County and County borough in England and Wales until County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between 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. History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire,

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 and hinterland becoming the Vale of White Horse district, and Didcot and Wallingford going to form part of the South Oxfordshire district. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the Faringdon is a Market town in the Vale of White Horse, in Oxfordshire, England. Wantage is a Town and Civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, near the Thames Valley, in the English county of Oxfordshire Geography It is the valley of the Ock, a stream which joins the Thames from the West at Abingdon Didcot is a Town in the Thames Valley, in the English county of Oxfordshire (although formerly in Berkshire) Wallingford is a small Market town and Civil parish in the upper Thames Valley in Oxfordshire, England. Towns The towns in the district are Didcot, Henley-on-Thames, Thame, Wallingford and Watlington. In return, Berkshire obtained the towns of Slough and Eton and part of the former Eton Rural District from Buckinghamshire. Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. Eton is a Town in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Eton was a Rural district in Buckinghamshire, England. It was named after but did not contain Eton, which was an Urban district. 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. Henley-on-Thames is a town on the north side of the River Thames in south Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from

On 1 April 1998 Berkshire County Council was abolished under a recommendation of the Banham Commission, and the districts became unitary authorities. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002 See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions 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. For the lake see Virginia Water Lake. Virginia Water is a large Village, a Lake and originally a Stream, the The M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales.

Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Berkshire at current basic prices published (pp. Value added refers to the additional value of a commodity over the cost of commodities used to produce it from the previous stage of production 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British pounds sterling. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency

Year	Regional Gross Value Added1	Agriculture2	Industry3	Services4
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

1. Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
2. Includes hunting and forestry
3. Includes energy and construction
4. 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. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between

The eastern section of Berkshire lies largely to the south of the River Thames, with that river forming the northern boundary of the county. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. In two places (Slough and Reading) the county now includes land to the north of the river. Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. Tributaries of the Thames, including the Loddon and Blackwater increase the amount of low lying riverine land in the area. The River Loddon is a River in the English counties of Berkshire and Hampshire. The River Blackwater is a tributary of the River Loddon in England and indirectly of the River Thames. Beyond the flood plains, the land rises gently to the county boundaries with Surrey and Hampshire. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain Much of this area is still well wooded, especially around Bracknell and Windsor Great Park. Bracknell is a town in the Bracknell Forest borough of Berkshire, England. Windsor Great Park (locally referred to simply as the Great Park) is a large Deer Park of 5000 acres to the south of the town of Windsor

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. The Goring Gap is a British geological feature located on the River Thames approximately 8 miles upstream from Reading. 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. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets The Chiltern Hills are a Chalk Escarpment in Southeast England. History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the The Berkshire Downs are a Downland area in England lie north of the River Kennet, south of the River Thames, east of Swindon and west

As a consequence, the western portion of the county is situated around the valley of the River Kennet, which joins the Thames in Reading. Kennet Fluss2 dbjpg|150px]] The upper reaches of the River Kennet near Avebury The 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. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain The highest of these is Walbury Hill at 297 m (974 ft), which is also the highest point in South East England. Walbury Hill is the highest point in the South East England region of the UK at 297  m (974  ft) Above sea level. South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England.

To the north of the Kennet, the land rises again to the Berkshire Downs. The Berkshire Downs are a Downland area in England lie north of the River Kennet, south of the River Thames, east of Swindon and west 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. The River Lambourn is a Chalk stream in the English county of Berkshire. The River Pang is a small Chalk stream river in the west of the English county of Berkshire, and a Tributary of the River Thames. This article is about the sport For other uses see Horserace (drinking game or Horse race (politics.

As part of a 2002 marketing campaign, the plant conservation charity Plantlife chose the Summer Snowflake as the county flower. Plantlife is a wild plant conservation charity founded in 1989 Spring Snowflake ( Leucojum vernum) and Summer Snowflake or Loddon Lily ( Leucojum aestivum) are bulbous plants belonging to the In a number of countries plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas

Sport

One football club from the county plays professional football, Reading, who were formed in 1871. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Reading Football Club are an Association football club based in the English town of Reading, in Berkshire. Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

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, Slough, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Wokingham, Windsor, Sandhurst, Crowthorne and Twyford being the largest towns) with West Berkshire being much more rural and sparsely populated, with far fewer towns (Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford and Lambourn). Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. Bracknell is a town in the Bracknell Forest borough of Berkshire, England. Maidenhead is a town within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. Windsor (ˈwɪnzə/ /ˈwɪndzə is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. Sandhurst is a small town and Civil parish in England of around 7500 homes and 22000 inhabitants primarily domiciliary in nature with a few light industries Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa Crowthorne is a small Village and Civil For other places of the same name see Twyford. Twyford is a large village and Civil parish in the English History The district of Newbury was formed on April 1, 1974, as a merger of the borough of Newbury Bradfield Rural District, Hungerford Rural Newbury is a Civil parish and the principal Town in the west of the County of Berkshire in England. Thatcham is a Town in Berkshire, England 3 miles (5km east of Newbury and 15 miles (24km west of Reading For other uses see Hungerford (disambiguation Hungerford is a Market town and Civil parish in Berkshire, Lambourn is a large Village and Civil parish in the northwestern corner of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England.

The population has increased massively since 1831; this is largely due to Berkshire's proximity to an expanding London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. 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 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 ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies A non-metropolitan county or shire county in England, is a county-level entity which is not a Metropolitan county. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. The district councils are unitary authorities but do not have county status.

In the unitary authorities the Conservatives control West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest councils, Labour controls Slough and Reading is under no overall control. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. History The district of Newbury was formed on April 1, 1974, as a merger of the borough of Newbury Bradfield Rural District, Hungerford Rural Towns and villages The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead contains the following towns and villages Ascot Bray History Bracknell Forest was formed on April 1 1974, as the non-metropolitan district of Bracknell. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between

Since the 2005 general election, the Conservative Party dominates, controlling six out of eight constituencies. Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Slough and Reading West are both represented by the Labour Party. Slough is a Borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Reading West is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the

See also: List of Parliamentary constituencies in Berkshire

Places of interest

• Ashdown House
• Basildon Park
• Beale Park
• Berkshire Downs
• Bisham Abbey
• California Country Park
• Combe Gibbet
• Donnington Castle
• Eton College
• Frogmore House
• Greenham Common
• Lardon Chase, the Holies and Lough Down
• Legoland Windsor
• Museum of English Rural Life
• Museum of Reading
• Reading Abbey
• REME Museum of Technology
• Stanlake Park Wine Estate
• The Ridgeway
• Walbury Hill
• Welford Park
• Windsor Castle
• Windsor Great Park

See also

• Thames Valley
• Schools in Berkshire
• List of places in Berkshire
• List of civil parishes in Berkshire
• Flag of Berkshire

References

External links

• Berkshire information
• Royal Berkshire History
• Photographs of Berkshire
• Reading Borough Council
• Wokingham Borough Council
• footstepspast.co.uk — Berkshire connections
• Polish people in UK

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