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Bracknell
is 36 miles west of London and 11 miles south-east of Reading.
To the
south and east the town is surrounded by the huge expanse
of Swinley and Crowthorne Woods, ideal for walking in.
The town
takes its name from the Saxon word meaning 'Bracken-covered
secret place'.
Bracknell
was designated a 'new town' in 1949 and today very little
of the original town survives.
The Victorian
market village at its heart changed little until the 1970s,
when it was pedestrianised and the old shops town demolished
to make way for a new development.
Today
the town centre is in need of major refurbishment and there
are plans for regeneration of the town.
Bracknell
has extended well beyond its proposed size into farmland to
the south and there are now plans for further expansion onto
the site of the former RAF Staff College near the town centre
and to the west of the town.
Bracknell
has attracted hi-tech industry and it is the home of major
IT companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Seimens. George
Rowney & Co. Ltd, manufacturers of artists' materials since
1769, relocated to Bracknell in 1969. Bracknell
was once famously the home of the Met Office but this relocated
to Exeter in 2003.
Bracknell
has two railway stations on the Waterloo to Reading mainline
and has become an important commuter centre, with residents
travelling to work in both London and Reading.
For visitors
there are a number of tourist attractions and things to do
in the town and around it.
To
the south of the town lies South
Hill Park, a mansion dating from 1760, that now houses
an Arts Centre. The Wilde Theatre, opened at South Hill Park
in 1984, was named after Oscar Wilde, who created the character
Lady Bracknell in his comedy 'The Importance of Being Earnest'.
Coral
Reef, Bracknell's Water World, provides fun for all the
family. Open all year, this tropical paradise includes three
giant water slides, wild water rapids, firing cannons and
bubbling spas. There are also saunas for the over 18s and
a air-conditioned restaurant overlooking the pool.
The John
Nike Leisure Complex in Binfield is home to the Bracknell
Ski and Skateboard Centre. This boasts a dry ski slope and
an Olympic size ice rink, and a snow-park for snowboarders
will open in late 2006.
The Look
Out Discovery Centre, at Nine Mile Ride, offers over 70
interactive exhibits in five themed zones to educate and entertain
children and adults of all ages. Surrounding the centre are
the 2600 acres of Swinley Forest.
Lying
between Bracknell and Bagshott, Swinley Forest belongs to
the Windsor Estate and is owned and managed by the Crown Estates.
Designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the
mainly Scots Pine woodland has many protected areas for the
birds that live there. Swinley Forest also provides some
of the best mountaining biking in the South East of England.
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Bracknell
