Crowthorne Tourist Information

Crowthorne, a small town 4 miles south-west of Bracknell, takes its name from the 'Crow Thorne' that was once a landmark on the moorland which covered this part of the Windsor Forest.

Until the mid-19th century Crowthorne was a tiny hamlet and the settlement owes its rapid development to the opening of Wellington College in 1859 and Broadmoor Hospital in 1863.

The growth of Crowthorne was also aided by the opening of a railway station on the Reading to Guildford line in 1860.

Wellington College, built in the style of a 18th century French chateau, was established as a national memorial to the Duke of Wellington.  The magnificent college was established to educate the orphaned sons of British Army Officers and today Wellington College is a famous co-educational public school. 

Broadmoor Hospital, one of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, was established as Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane.  Today Broadmoor Hospital (part of the West London Mental Health NHS Trust) not only provides care for patients but is also a centre for training and research.  Because of the potentially dangerous nature of some patients a system of alarms has been installed to alert nearby institutions in the surrounding areas of Wokingham and Bracknell in case of any escapes.  This system, based on World War II air raid sirens, is tested every Monday morning at 10.00 am. 

In the 1930's the Transport Research Laboratory was established at Crowthorne and this is still the main employer of residents who do not commute.