Ascot, Berkshire
Encyclopedia
Ascot is a village within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot
, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
, Berkshire
, England
. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse
, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting. The region is split into three distinct areas: Ascot itself, North Ascot
(partially in the civil parish of Winkfield
) and South Ascot
.
.
is at the western edge of the town. Ascot has a station
on a bi-section of the railway line from London
's Waterloo station
to Reading
, Bagshot, Aldershot and Guildford
, originally built by the London and South Western Railway
and now operated by South West Trains
. As a consequence of the frequent service on this line, Ascot is now a commuter centre with its residents in both directions (westwards to Reading
and eastwards to London
).
(a private girls senior school recently attended by Princess Beatrice of York
), St Mary's School, Ascot, a Catholic all girls boarding school, located in South Ascot and the Licensed Victuallers' School
, which is located down the road from Ascot Racecourse. Papplewick, one of the leading preparatory schools
in Britain is also based in Ascot. The local state secondary school in the Ascot area is Charters School
in nearby Sunningdale
, which received a 'Grade 1 Outstanding' assessment from the Schools watchdog Ofsted
in 2009.
The centrepiece of Ascot's year is held in June: Royal Ascot is one of the world's most famous race meetings, steeped in history dating back to 1711. The royal family attend the meeting, arriving each day in a horse drawn carriage. It is a major event in the British social calendar. Although this has placed Ascot onto the British social map, it has many direct effects on the local community, not least of which are the associated traffic problems.
, in addition to numerous small and medium enterprises. The Chartered Institute of Building
, a professional body
for those working in the construction industry and built environment
, is also based in Ascot.
unit, which is known as 4 Platoon Ascot. The unit, being badged as Irish Guards
(due to the unit belonging to A Company, Berkshire ACF; a company currently badged to the Household Division
), means that the unit regularly sees Irish Guards events such as the famed St. Patricks Day Parade, and even has the privilege of taking part in an Irish Guards ACF skills competition, run by the battalion. It parades at 19:15 until 21:30 on a Monday and Wednesday night at Licensed Victuallers' School
and actively recruits from the local and surrounding area. The unit used to parade at Ascot Racecourse
, however they were evicted due to an appeal made out by the Racecourse owners. They now temporarily parade at the Sixth Form centre inside the school. The unit now has a new Detachment Commander - Staff Sergeant (SSI) Richard Pelling.
Sunninghill and Ascot
Sunninghill and Ascot is a civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead on the eastern borders of the English county of Berkshire.Before 12 August 2004, the parish was known simply as Sunninghill...
, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a Royal Borough of Berkshire, in South East England. It became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998.It is home to Windsor Castle, Eton College, Legoland and Ascot Racecourse....
, 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting. The region is split into three distinct areas: Ascot itself, 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 :...
(partially in the civil parish of Winkfield
Winkfield
Winkfield 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...
) and South Ascot
South Ascot
South Ascot is a village just south of and down the hill from the small town of Ascot in the English county of Berkshire. It is bounded on the west by the Kingsride area of Swinley Woods, on the north by the Reading to Waterloo railway line and merges with Sunninghill to the east.- Local government...
.
Governance
Ascot is part of the district administered by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, a unitary authorityUnitary 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...
.
Amenities
Facilities tend to be geared towards the racecourse, although there is sufficient, if limited, shopping available in the wide High Street. Most of the expected facilities one would expect to find in a small town are here, including a supermarket, petrol station and many cafes (including a new Starbucks and a costa, a subway and a tesco express and a budgens!). Most buildings are post-war with flats above the ground floor retail space. Heatherwood HospitalHeatherwood Hospital
Heatherwood Hospital is an NHS hospital in Ascot, Berkshire, part of the Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.The hospital was opened in 1922 for the United Services Fund and later taken over by the London County Council giving priority to children of ex-servicemen from London...
is at the western edge of the town. Ascot has a station
Ascot railway station
Ascot railway station is a railway station in the town of Ascot in Berkshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains. It is at the junction of the Waterloo to Reading line with the Ascot to Guildford line....
on a bi-section of the railway line from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Waterloo station
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
to Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Bagshot, Aldershot and Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, originally built by the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
and now operated by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
. As a consequence of the frequent service on this line, Ascot is now a commuter centre with its residents in both directions (westwards to Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and eastwards to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
).
Local schools
Independent senior schools in the area include St. George's SchoolSt. George's School, Ascot
St George's School, Ascot is an independent boarding and day school in Ascot, Berkshire, England. It is now a single-sex girls' school , which selects all of its incoming pupils on the basis of examined ability, usually at age 11, with a few entrants at 13 and 16.-History:The school was founded in...
(a private girls senior school recently attended by Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Beatrice of York is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York...
), St Mary's School, Ascot, a Catholic all girls boarding school, located in South Ascot and the Licensed Victuallers' School
Licensed Victuallers' School
LVS Ascot is an independent non-selective secondary school in Ascot, in the English county of Berkshire.-History:...
, which is located down the road from Ascot Racecourse. Papplewick, one of the leading preparatory schools
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
in Britain is also based in Ascot. The local state secondary school in the Ascot area is Charters School
Charters School
Charters School is a secondary school located in Sunningdale, Berkshire. In December 2006 and December 2009 it was graded 1 outstanding by OFSTED.The school first opened on 23 April 1958 and was visited by Queen Elizabeth II on 4 April 1962....
in nearby Sunningdale
Sunningdale
Sunningdale is a large village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England.-Location:Sunningdale is located close to the present border with Surrey, and is not far from Ascot, Sunninghill and Virginia Water. It is situated 24 miles west of London and 7...
, which received a 'Grade 1 Outstanding' assessment from the Schools watchdog Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
in 2009.
Royal Ascot week
Economy
Ascot Racecourse employs over 70 full-time staff, which increases temporarily to 6,000 during Royal Ascot week. The village has a variety of businesses located at the Ascot Business Park, opened in 2008, including the UK headquarters of global toy manufactuter Jakks PacificJakks Pacific
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses...
, in addition to numerous small and medium enterprises. The Chartered Institute of Building
Chartered Institute of Building
The Chartered Institute of Building is a body that represents professionals who work within the built environment in the United Kingdom.- History :...
, a professional body
Professional body
A professional association is usually a nonprofit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest.The roles of these professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in a...
for those working in the construction industry and built environment
Built environment
The term built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from personal shelter and buildings to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.The built...
, is also based in Ascot.
Army Cadet Force
Ascot also has an Army Cadet ForceArmy Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
unit, which is known as 4 Platoon Ascot. The unit, being badged as Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
(due to the unit belonging to A Company, Berkshire ACF; a company currently badged to the Household Division
Household Division
Household Division is a term used principally in the Commonwealth of Nations to describe a country’s most elite or historically senior military units, or those military units that provide ceremonial or protective functions associated directly with the head of state.-Historical Development:In...
), means that the unit regularly sees Irish Guards events such as the famed St. Patricks Day Parade, and even has the privilege of taking part in an Irish Guards ACF skills competition, run by the battalion. It parades at 19:15 until 21:30 on a Monday and Wednesday night at Licensed Victuallers' School
Licensed Victuallers' School
LVS Ascot is an independent non-selective secondary school in Ascot, in the English county of Berkshire.-History:...
and actively recruits from the local and surrounding area. The unit used to parade at Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
, however they were evicted due to an appeal made out by the Racecourse owners. They now temporarily parade at the Sixth Form centre inside the school. The unit now has a new Detachment Commander - Staff Sergeant (SSI) Richard Pelling.
Notable residents
- Chris Evans, radio and TV presenter, lives in Ascot
- Sarah HardingSarah HardingSarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
, singer, Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
, born in Ascot - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
of The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, lived at Tittenhurst ParkTittenhurst ParkTittenhurst Park was the home of John Lennon and Yoko Ono from the late summer of 1969 until August 1971, and then the home of Ringo Starr and family until the late-1980s. It is located on a 72-acre estate in London Road, Sunningdale, near Ascot, Berkshire SL5 0PN, England, close to the Surrey...
, Ascot - Mark HatchardMark HatchardMark Hatchard is a director of the Hotbox Studios animation and design company and is involved with the contemporary arts and music festival group, Festival Republic, through Hotbox Studios' sister company Hotbox Events...
of successful animations company Hotbox Studios and event recruitment company Hotbox EventsHotbox EventsHotbox Events is a company that recruits and manages staff and volunteers for UK festivals such as the Leeds Festival, Reading Festival, Latitude Festival and The Big Chill...
was born in Ascot.
External links
- Ascot Village Website
- Royal Berkshire History: Ascot
- Ascot Racecourse
- Royal Ascot
- Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead: Ascot
- Photos of Ascot
- Ascot Volunteer Bureau (provides transport to medical appointments for the elderly)
- Ascot Blues Softball Club part of the Windsor Maidenhead Mixed Softball League