Bracknell Forest
Encyclopedia
Bracknell Forest is a unitary authority
and borough
in Berkshire
in southern England. It covers the towns of Bracknell
, North Ascot
, Sandhurst, Crowthorne
and surrounding villages and hamlets.
(in which the Bracknell new town
had been developed). It changed its name in May 1988, at the same time as it was granted borough status.
On 1 April 1998, Berkshire County Council
was abolished, as a consequence of the Banham Review, and Bracknell Forest Borough Council became a unitary authority
. From 2008, references to 'borough' were phased out in favour of simply Bracknell Forest Council.
Since 1973, Bracknell Forest has been twinned with Opladen
in Germany, continued by Leverkusen
after Opladen's incorporation in 1975.
Bracknell Forest Borough Council's offices at Time Square in Market Street were featured in an episode of Road Wars on 4 February 2010 when a pursuit ended in the carpark.
Estate between Bracknell and Bagshot. Owned and managed by the Crown Estates, it comprises 2600 acres (11 km²) of woodland (mainly Scots Pine
). It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and has protected areas for the birds that live there.
It also provides some of the best mountain biking
in South-East England, with many off road 'single-track' trails available as well as plenty of fire roads. Mountain biking is permitted with a permit. In recent years, Swinley forest has also be used a filming location for a number of films including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2.
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
and borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
in southern England. It covers the towns of Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
, North Ascot
North Ascot
North Ascot is an area of Ascot in the county of Berkshire in England. It lies north of the A329 and west of the A332, adjoining the famous racecourse, Heatherwood Hospital and the village of Burleigh.- Local government :...
, Sandhurst, Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
and surrounding villages and hamlets.
History
Bracknell Forest was formed on 1 April 1974, as the non-metropolitan district of Bracknell. The district took on the territory of the former Easthampstead Rural DistrictEasthampstead Rural District
Easthampstead was a rural district in Berkshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 as a successor to the Easthampstead rural sanitary district.The district originally covered the civil parishes of*Binfield...
(in which the Bracknell new town
New towns in the United Kingdom
Below is a list of some of the new towns in the United Kingdom created under the various New Town Acts of the 20th century. Some earlier towns were developed as Garden Cities or overspill estates early in the twentieth century. The New Towns proper were planned to disperse population following the...
had been developed). It changed its name in May 1988, at the same time as it was granted borough status.
On 1 April 1998, Berkshire County Council
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
was abolished, as a consequence of the Banham Review, and Bracknell Forest Borough Council became a unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
. From 2008, references to 'borough' were phased out in favour of simply Bracknell Forest Council.
Since 1973, Bracknell Forest has been twinned with Opladen
Opladen
Opladen, now a suburb of Leverkusen, used to be the capital of the Rhein-Wupper-Kreis up to 1975. Opladen station is located 10 m. N.E. from Cologne on the railway to Wuppertal. Its is also on the Autobahn A3. Pop. 6338, 42,000. It has an Evangelical and several Roman Catholic churches...
in Germany, continued by Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
after Opladen's incorporation in 1975.
Bracknell Forest Borough Council's offices at Time Square in Market Street were featured in an episode of Road Wars on 4 February 2010 when a pursuit ended in the carpark.
The Forest
There is no forest called 'Bracknell Forest'. This name is often confused with Swinley Forest (or Woods), which is an area of the WindsorHouse of Windsor
The House of Windsor is the royal house of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom...
Estate between Bracknell and Bagshot. Owned and managed by the Crown Estates, it comprises 2600 acres (11 km²) of woodland (mainly Scots Pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
). It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and has protected areas for the birds that live there.
It also provides some of the best mountain biking
Mountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
in South-East England, with many off road 'single-track' trails available as well as plenty of fire roads. Mountain biking is permitted with a permit. In recent years, Swinley forest has also be used a filming location for a number of films including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2.
Civil parishes
- BinfieldBinfieldBinfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest borough of Berkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 7,475...
- BracknellBracknellBracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
- CrowthorneCrowthorneCrowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
- Sandhurst
- WarfieldWarfieldWarfield is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire and the Borough of Bracknell Forest.-Geography:Warfield is a mostly rural parish made up of a number of small settlements...
- WinkfieldWinkfieldWinkfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest unitary authority of Berkshire, England.-Geography:According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 15,271...