Best Places to Visit in Berkshire
The idyllic rural landscapes of one of its hometowns, Berkshire, combined with its proximity to London make it a place where most people are willing to pay a premium for a property. The county is beautiful and Windsor Castle has been the royal seat since it was built in the early 1100s.
The royal presence can be felt in many places, including the famous Ascot Racecourse. As you walk through Berkshire, you can see how much the county’s waterways add to its appeal.
The Thames rivers meander from west to east, widening with the current, feeding the lush aquatic vegetation that surrounds towns and villages. The Kennett and Avon Canals were also important shipping routes from the West Country to London and are now barge-navigable by vacationers.
Have a look at our list of the Best Places to Visit in Berkshire and make your trip enjoyable.
12 Best Places to Visit in Berkshire
Let’s explore the top 12 Most Beautiful and Best Places to Visit in Berkshire:
1. Windsor
Two of the country’s most popular tourist destinations are located in this affluent town on the River Thames. Windsor Castle needs little introduction: It has been the residence of royalty since the reign of Henry I in the early 12th century, making it Europe’s oldest occupied royal palace.
It’s easy to get lost in the grand 5,000-hectare park, and you can spend hours wandering around town to see sights such as Christopher Wren’s 17th-century town hall. Then for the little ones, there’s Legoland Windsor, which became the UK’s most popular theme park in 2016, promising a full day of Lego-themed fun and toys for kids as young as 12.
2. Newbury
Central Newbury is a well-preserved historic town for walking, and the grassy caravan paths on the Kennett and Avon Canals are very peaceful. Newbury Racecourse hosts one of the most valuable races on the calendar, the Lockinge Stakes, in May.
The majestic residence Highclere Castle is a majestic setting on 2,000 hectares of land. If you’re a Downton Abbey fan, this should be part of your plan, as one glance will tell you this is where the TV show was filmed.
The 1800s house is newer than it looks and features a “Jacobethan” design inspired by 16th and 17th century palaces. Wander the hills of the surrounding country park to Donnington Castle, which was under siege for 18 months during the English Civil War.
3. Bray
Without knowing anything about its culinary history, Bray is like any other wealthy and charming village in southern England. There’s an almshouse from the early 1600s and the handsome St Michael’s Church, built in the 1290s, with fascinating medieval artifacts, including the massive brass in the tomb of Sir John Foxley.
But Bray’s modern reputation comes from its restaurants, which have two of the village’s four Michelin three-star restaurants. The older of the two is the Waterside Inn, founded by the Roux brothers in 1972, while Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck has been acclaimed for its molecular cuisine since it opened in 1995.
4. Wokingham
In the Tudor era, Wokingham was the center of silk spinning, and little signs of the industry still exist. Walk along Rose Street, where the higher half-timbered houses on the ground floor will have their stalls.
The Victorian Gothic Revival Town Hall in the heart of the Market Place remains the heart of the community, with trendy cafes in the courtyard and a mix of locally owned shops and street brands in the surrounding historic buildings. You can start hiking in the town, as is the trail to the wooded and heather-covered Finchampstead Ridges.
5. Hungerford
Hungerford is located in the North Wessex Downs close to Wiltshire, not far from Mount Walbury, the highest point in the southeast at around 300 meters above sea level. The Kennett and Avon Canals meander through the north side of town and carry the coal and stone mines of Somerset to Reading-on-Thames in the 19th century.
Hungerford Pier is beautiful and a great place on a sunny day to watch narrow boats glide up and down the canal. Cross the bridge in town and experience the English countryside on Main Street, which is home to many 17th and 18th century properties, including Hungerford Arcade, an antique center with over 100 vendors.
6. Eton
Opposite Windsor on the north bank of the Thames is the town of Eton, synonymous with Eton. Founded by Henry VI and 19 former British Prime Ministers among its graduates, it is the most famous and prestigious of all UK public schools.
If you’re in doubt about how posh this place is, the school has its own natural history museum open on Sundays, but you can visit at other times. Eton High Street is surrounded by historic brick and half-timbered buildings with luxury shops such as delicatessens and antique bookstores; There are beautiful green spaces in Brocas and South Meadow on the banks of the Thames.
7. Pangbourne
Anyone who remembers the children’s book “The Wind in the Willows” will want to know that its author, Kenneth Grahame, retired in Pangbourne in the 1920s. The village is full of beautiful old houses and one-off shops, and the Thames makes it even more beautiful.
The shore is a large green water meadow belonging to Pangbourne, where village celebrations are held every June. During the rest of the summer, it’s a dreamy place to picnic under the shade of the willow trees. If you’re traveling with young children, they’ll have a great time in Beale Park, which is home to farm animals and more exotic species like heaths, lemurs, and mongooses.
8. Ascot
The three villages that make up the town of Ascot are very rich and face mainly the Ascot Racecourse, the most prestigious racecourse in the country. In other words, there are many hotels and restaurants for tourists who race 26 days a year and need accommodation.
The course has strong royal ties and was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 just a few miles from Windsor. Royal Ascot Week in June remained popular, attracting 300,000 spectators, and Queen Elizabeth was no exception. The event has been a mainstay of the country’s social elite’s “London Season” since the 18th century.
9. Streatley
Situated at an old junction on the River Thames, Streatley is a stunning village on the edge of the large town of Goering and the county line in South Oxfordshire. The landscape is one of the steep wooded hills, an outcrop of the Chiltern Range, the eastern end of the North Wessex Downs.
Much of the surrounding countryside is owned by the National Trust, so you are free to enjoy the river and village views on foot, while the Ridgeway National Trail runs east along the Thames along with Goring and Streatley. In this ultra-luxurious location, you’ll find a golf club open to visitors since 1895, as well as a good selection of bars and restaurants.
10. Maidenhead
The larger town of Maidenhead is across the river from Buckinghamshire and is connected to the neighboring village of Taplow by Maidenhead Bridge. This structure, built in the 1770s with seven arches and wrought iron lanterns, offers us one of the most beautiful views of the city.
You can walk the short Thames Trail to Bolt Lock, also built in the 1700s, and it’s a great place to sit and contemplate the river and its embankments or watch the barges go by.
Between Boulter’s Lock and Bray Lock is the Maidenhead Railway Bridge, designed in 1839 by the venerable Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The Maidenhead Heritage Center can give you an idea of ​​the city’s connection to the Air Transport Auxiliary Station near Second Town. World wars and helps to transport vital RAF machines across the country.
11. Cookham
Stanley Spencer, one of Britain’s most admired painters of the 20th century, was born in this village on the Thames side where he lived his entire life. There is now a museum of over 100 paintings and drawings of Spencer in the Wesleyan Church where he grew up.
Give yourself some time to see more of the village and its commons, with its timber-framed houses and beautiful flint-walled cottages. Often referred to as the richest village in the country, you’ll see the most expensive property per square metre.
12. Kintbury
In the verdant hills of the North Wessex Downs, the waterside hamlet of Kintbury is among the finest villages in the country. None of the stunning views will surprise you, but the most unspoiled English countryside can be seen at one of the most coveted addresses in the vicinity.
On the street, the old part of the village looks a lot like what it did a century ago, with delightful brick cottages and a rustic medieval church. Stop for an upscale pub lunch at the 18th-century Dundas Arms by Kennett and Avon Canals.
Conclusion:
Hope you like our choice of the best places to visit in Berkshire. If you think there are some more beautiful places to visit in Berkshire, we should cover them. Write us below in the comment box.