Bracknell Tourist Information

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 the new development. 

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. 

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 ( permit required, available at The Lookout ).