|
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
1930s the Transport Research Laboratory was established at
Crowthorne and this is still the main employer of residents
who do not commute.
|
the internet holiday and travel guide to the UK
Crowthorne
