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About an hour outside of London lies the historic town of Bracknell. Bracknell is conveniently situated near Reading (18 km to the northwest) and Windsor (16 km to the northeast). The town touches on several woods, including Swinley Woods and Crowthorne Woods.
History
Modern-day Bracknell encompasses the old area of Easthampstead. Easthampstead is a historic location with points of interest dating back to the Bronze Age. Catherine of Aragon (firs wife of King Henry the eighth) was banished to the Royal hunting lodge in Easthampstead Park after her divorce. Alexander Pope is also known to have visited his patrons, the Trumbulls, who were from Binfield.
'Old Manor', the public house to the northeast of the town, is one of the oldest buildings in the area, dating back to the seventeenth century. The building is a particular point of interest as it still has several 'priest holes' (niches built for Roman Catholic priests to conceal themselves in during the Cromwellian persecution of the mid-sixteenth century.
Those interested in an older side still of Bracknell can visit 'Quelm Stone', an ancient standing stone.
South Hill Park
Bracknell has many historic sites of interest. Perhaps the top attraction in the area is the South Hill Park mansion. The Romanesque building dates back to 1760 when it was constructed for William Watts as his retirement retreat. The mansion has had many famous landlords, including the Earls of Limerick (in the early nineteenth century). The building is an impressive two-storey structure with stucco ornamentation. The grounds are also impressive, with 30 acres oh manicured park stretching around the mansion.
New Town
In 1949, in the wake of World War II, Bracknell was declared a new town and designed to accommodate 25,000 people. The town now has a population of 50,000 and has far outgrown its 1949 plan. The centre of Bracknell was designed in the 1960s and is currently under refurbishment.
Unique Bracknell Street Names
People who are not indigenous to the Bracknell area often find it confusing that there are no titles to the streets (i.e. street, avenue, road, etc.), just names. It is also interesting that the streets are named in alphabetic order per district.
Since 2000, South Hill Park has opened its grounds up for the Big Day Out Festival - an annual, world famous music festival.
There is an unsubstantiated legend that Oscar Wilde visited the manor and wrote his tale, 'The Selfish Giant', in the grounds. There is also a character named Lady Bracknell in his most famous play, 'Importance of Being Ernest'.
Bracknell on TV
Bracknell will be recognizable to fans of Doctor Who and Harry Potter as it was the setting for several scenes. The mansion has even made it into the world of Playstation! The town is used in "Resistance: Fall of Man", a PS3 game.
Transport
Bracknell is 53 kilometers west of London, and hour drive down A329. The town lies on the Waterloo to Reading train line and has two train stations, Bracknell and Martins Heron. The town is also serviced by local buses.
Accommodation in Bracknell
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