California, Berkshire
Encyclopedia
California is a village
in the north of the civil parish of Finchampstead
in the English
county of Berkshire
. It is situated approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Wokingham
.
California is named after an old brickworks. There are local shops
, restaurant
s, a chemist
, post office
and petrol station
, school and doctor's surgery at California Crossroads. However, the place is best known for its Country Park
, centred on Longmoor Lake. It was once a famous holiday camp, complete with glass-floored pavilion and speedway racetrack. The track was known as Longmoor before WW2 and was used for training. After WW2 the track was home for the team known as California Poppies which raced in the Southern Area League. Annual reunions are now staged at the site of the track.
In April 2010, the new FBC Centre was opened in Gorse Ride North. The centre was built by Finchampstead Baptist Church in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council and Finchampstead Parish Council. The centre provides a cafe, sports hall and conference rooms for community use and is used by an increasing number of community groups.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the north of the civil parish of Finchampstead
Finchampstead
Finchampstead is a civil parish near Wokingham in the English county of Berkshire. Its northern extremity is situated south of Wokingham, west of Bracknell, south-east of Reading, and west of Central London.-Geography:...
in the English
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...
county of 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...
. It is situated approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Wokingham
Wokingham
Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403...
.
California is named after an old brickworks. There are local shops
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, a chemist
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and petrol station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
, school and doctor's surgery at California Crossroads. However, the place is best known for its Country Park
California Country Park
California Country Park is a country park covering Long Moor in the north of the civil parish of Finchampstead in the English county of Berkshire....
, centred on Longmoor Lake. It was once a famous holiday camp, complete with glass-floored pavilion and speedway racetrack. The track was known as Longmoor before WW2 and was used for training. After WW2 the track was home for the team known as California Poppies which raced in the Southern Area League. Annual reunions are now staged at the site of the track.
In April 2010, the new FBC Centre was opened in Gorse Ride North. The centre was built by Finchampstead Baptist Church in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council and Finchampstead Parish Council. The centre provides a cafe, sports hall and conference rooms for community use and is used by an increasing number of community groups.