Crowthorne

Crowthorne was only a small hamlet until Wellington College was opened in 1859 and Broadmoor Hospital in 1863. Crowthorne railway station, originally known as Wellington College for Crowthorne Station, was opened in 1860 and grew quickly. In the 1960s, the Transport Research Laboratory established by the UK Government as the Road Research Laboratory (RRL) opened in Crowthorne, and was privatised in 1996.

At the 2001 census the village had a population of 6,711,[5] which increased minimally to 6,902 at the 2011 Census.[1]

Crowthorne is part of the Reading/Wokingham Urban Area. It lies 4 miles NNE from Camberley and approximately 5 miles SSW from Bracknell. The Crowthorne area spills over into the neighbouring parish of Wokingham Without. Most of Crowthorne is in the Bracknell Forest district.

North of Crowthorne is Pinewood, which has a leisure centre,[6] cafe[7] and a miniature railway.[8]

Crowthorne has a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and local nature reserve at the north edge of the village, called Heath Lake[9] There is also an SSSI to the south-east, called Sandhurst to Owlsmoor Bogs and Heaths, which includes a nature reserve called Wildmoor Heath.[10][11]

To the south of the village, between it and Sandhurst, there is a local nature reserve called Edgbarrow Woods.[12]

Crowthorne houses Wellington College, a large co-educational boarding and day independent school, which opened in 1859 as a national monument in honour of the Duke of Wellington (1769–1852), who had led British, Spanish and Portuguese forces in a succession of military victories in the Iberian Peninsula.[13]

Edgbarrow is a secondary school that serves the whole of Crowthorne, with five feeder schools: Hatch Ride Primary, New Scotland Hill, Crowthorne Church of England School, Wildmoor Heath (formerly Broadmoor Primary) and Oaklands Junior. There are a few pre-preparatory, preparatory schools, nurseries and childcare centres in the town accepting children between 3 months and 11 years old.

C. F. Taylor, a company that grew into a large international aeronautical fabrications business, later part of British Aerospace. It was born in a shed of the Buckler premises in Heath Hill Road shortly after World War II. Metal craftsman C. F. Taylor single-handedly produced aluminium racing fairings for motorcycles and bodies for early Buckler cars.

The Crowthorne Natural History Society was founded in 1968.

Crowthorne holds a biennial carnival, usually taking place in early July. The 2008 theme was Fun and Fantasy; the 2010 theme was Rhythm of Life, and the 2012 theme was Best of British. The winners of the best junior school float prize were Oaklands Junior school in 2010, and 2012. The Carnival as a whole is organised by the Crowthorne Carnival Association, but individual events can be organised by local schools, groups and businesses.[14]

The Crowthorne Amateur Theatrical Society was founded in 1978.[15]

The Crowthorne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Roscoe, is based in the village. The orchestra gives three concerts a year, usually at Wellington College. It also holds an open workshop for full orchestra in September and a string workshop in May. The orchestra celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2011.[16]

Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club was formed in January 2014 as an amalgamation of two existing clubs. The new club plays its home games in the grounds of Wellington College and at Crown Wood's established base at St Sebastian's. It belongs to the Saturday League Cricket in the Berkshire League and Sunday Friendlies. In 2013, Crowthorne CC fielded two Saturday teams for the first time, as well as a Sunday Team and a Midweek T20 team, whereas Crown Wood CC fielded two League teams and a youth setup. The 1st XI gained promotion from Division 2 in 2013 after winning the league. The club has three League teams, a Sunday Team and a Midweek team. Crown Wood's existing youth setup continues under the umbrella of the merged club.[17]

AFC Crowthorne is one of the local football teams that play their home games at the Morgan Recreation ground.

In order of birth:

• William Chester Minor (1834–1920), a major contributor of quotations to the Oxford English Dictionary, c. 1872–1902
• A. C. Benson (1862–1925), essayist and scholar, was born at Wellington College while his father, Edward White Benson, was its first headmaster.
• A. Duncan Carse (1875 or 1876–1938), artist[18]
• Freeman Dyson (1923–2020), theoretical physicist and mathematician born in the village
• Ronald Kray (1933–1995), English gangster
• Sir Anthony Seldon (born 1953), headmaster of Wellington College, political author

• About the parish
• Royal Berkshire History: Crowthorne
• St. Sebastians School