Counties of the UK: Berkshire

This is the next instalment of a monthly feature going through the Counties of the UK in alphabetical order to check out things of interest.  I hope you enjoy it

Location – Berkshire is one of the Home Counties – ie the Counties surrounding London. It is home to about a million people.

 

Origin of name – named for a wood of box trees

Pronounciation – Bark + sher

Nicknames – Berks, The Royal County

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County seat – Reading

Unusual town name – Goldfinch Bottom

Flower – Summer Snowflake

Signature foods – Eton Mess

Famous places to visit – Windsor Castle, Ascot Racecourse, Eton College, Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey), Cookham (pretty village). The Fat Duck (Heston Blumenthal),  Donnington Castle,

Famous businesses/brands – Vodafone have their world headquarters in Newbury.

Famous people from Berkshire – King Henry I (buried in Reading Abbey), King Edward III, King Henry VI (born in Windsor Castle), Kate Middleton (Duchess of Cambridge), Jane Austen, Elton John, Oscar Wilde, Kate Winslet, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Geri Halliwell.  Many other famous people live in Berkshire including George Clooney and Theresa May.

Go to this Pinboard to see the Counties of the UK so far.