Dictionary
a county in southern England
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Wikipedia
otherplaces Berkshire (International Phonetic Alphabet for English IPA: !"ˈbɑːkʃ 01;">!ˈbɑːkʃ< 1; or !"ˈbɑːkʃ 18;ə">!ˈbɑːkʃ= 8;ə ; sometimes abbreviated to Postal counties of the United Kingdom#EnglandBerks) is a county in England and forms part of the South East England Regions of Englandregion. The county is also known as The Royal County of Berkshire — this title being made official with a grant in the 1930s. It borders Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire.
History - The county is one of the oldest in England, being reliably dated back to the setting of the traditional county borders by King Alfred the Great of Wessex. Following the reorganisation of local government in 1974, Abingdon, EnglandAbingdon (its traditional county town) and the Vale of the White Horse were transferred to Oxfordshire, Slough was added from Buckinghamshire, and Reading, BerkshireReading became the county town. On April 1, 1998 the county council was abolished and the districts became unitary authorityunitary authorities. The county takes its name from a large forest of birch trees that was called ''Bearroc'' (Celtic languageCeltic for 'hilly') and was originally a transaction of land to Cenwalh of WessexKing Cenwalh of Wessex. At this time, it only consisted of the northerly and westerly parts of the current county.Berkshire has been the scene of many battles throughout history, during Alfred the Great's campaign against the Danes, including the Battle of Englesfield, the Battle of Ashdown and the Battle of Reading (871)Battle of Reading. During the English Civil War there were two Battle of Newburybattles in Newbury, BerkshireNewbury. During the Glorious Revolution of 1688, there was a small Battle of Reading (1688)Battle of Reading
Geology, landscape and ecology - The highest point in the county is Walbury Hill at 297m (974ft). It is the highest point on Salisbury Plain and in the whole of South East England.
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 of the county, with West Berkshire being much more rural.The population has increased massively since 1831, this may be in part due to the sweeping boundary changes however. In 1831 there were 146,234 people living in Berkshire, by 1901 it 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 countyceremonial and Traditional counties of Englandtraditional county, and it is unusual in England in that it is the only administrative county with no county council. The district councils are unitary authorities but have no county status. In the unitary authorityunitary authorities the Conservative Party (UK)Conservatives control the West Berkshire, Wokingham (district)Wokingham and Bracknell Forest councils, Labour Party (UK)Labour control Reading, BerkshireReading council, whilst the Liberal Democrats (UK)Liberal Democrats control the Windsor and Maidenhead council. Slough is controlled jointly between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.Since the United Kingdom general election, 20052005 general election, the Conservative Party (UK)Conservative Party dominates, controlling 6 out of 8 constituencies. Slough (UK Parliament constituency)Slough and Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)Reading West are both represented by the Labour Party (UK)Labour Party.''See also: List of Parliamentary constituencies in Berkshire''
Settlements - Valley.]]''Main article: List of places in Berkshire''The largest town in Berkshire by population is Reading, BerkshireReading, however possibly more famous is the town of Windsor, BerkshireWindsor, the most famous resident being Queen Elizabeth II of the United KingdomQueen Elizabeth II.By population: Reading, BerkshireReading (144,000) Slough (119,070) Maidenhead (60,000) Bracknell (52,000) Newbury, BerkshireNewbury (32,000)Due to the administrative changes in 1974 there are a number of towns which are no longer administered as part of Berkshire, but instead as part of Oxfordshire. These include Abingdon, OxfordshireAbingdon, Didcot, Faringdon, Wallingford and Wantage.
Places of interest - EngPlacesKey?
See also - Thames Valley
External links - CommonscatBerkshire archive.museophile.org - Berkshire information berkshirehistory.com - Royal Berkshire History
References - footstepspast.co.uk - footstepspast.co.uk - Berkshire connectionsEngland ceremonial counties
England traditional counties da:Berkshire, !Englandde:Berkshireeo:Berkshir ees:Berkshirefr:Berkshireno:Be rkshirenl:BerkshireCategory:Be rkshire*
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Websites
Windsor berkshire
Local information about the royal borough of windsor and maidenhead for visitors and residents
http://windsor-berkshire.co.uk/
Where to go Ballroom Dancing in Western MA and the NY Capital District
The premier site for ballroom dance information in Western Massachusetts and the New York Capital District -- featuring a calendar of dances in the area, lists of instructors, and links to other ballroom dance information on the Internet. Updated weekly or more often.
http://www.ballroomdances.org/
Tim Hatton Web Design
The Complete Web Design Package - everything from domain registration, hosting, design, build, programming, online marketing and more. Fast, professional, cost effective service.
http://www.timhatton.com/
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
Activewear manufacturer headquarted in Omaha, NE. (NYSE: BRK.A and BRK.B)
http://www.BerkshireHathaway.com/
The Berkshire Eagle
Includes news, classifieds, and community information for Berkshire County.
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/
Berkshire Community College
Community College with main campus in Pittsfield and another in Great Barrington
http://www.cc.berkshire.org/
The Berkshire Museum
Community-based museum emphasizing art, natural sciences and history. Permanent displays and exhibits, plus special exhibits throughout the year. Plus Little Cinema and other activities.
http://www.berkshiremuseum.org/
The Berkshire Web
Extensive directory of news, culture, business, events, real estate, travel and community information for towns in the region.
http://www.berkshireweb.com/
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