Windsor Great Wheel & Thames Waterfront
Windsor Castle
River Thames at Maidenhead
Cliveden near Maidenhead
Regatta Run Henley-on-Thames
Oracle Shopping Centre & River Kennet Reading
The Living Rainforest near Thatcham & Newbury
Newbury Lock on the Kennet & Avon CanalBerkshire is a great English county for boating holidays and boat trips. In East Berkshire is the Thames Valley and the River Thames here is stunning lined with famous stately home estates like Cliveden, magnificent Windsor Castle and numerous award winning riverside pubs and restaurants. Around the Thames Valley and East Berkshire are popular Thames waterfront holiday locations like Windsor, Reading, Maidenhead and just in the Oxfordshire border famous rowing centre Henley-on-Thames, home to the annual Henley Royal Regatta. All these Thames waterfront locations offer a range of boat trips on the River Thames, day boat hire, party boats and floating restaurants. As you push into West Berkshire around Newbury and Hungerford the River Kennet and historic Kennet and Avon Canal are favourite waterways for narrowboat holidays and canal boat trips.
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Royal Windsor is one of the South East's most popular holiday locations offering a superb mix of attractions including Windsor castle, LEGOLAND Windsor theme park and glorious Windsor Great Park with acclaimed gardens Virginia Water and the Savill Garden. Olympic venue Eton Dorney Lake is also in the Windsor area. Three acclaimed racecourses are in Berkshire including world famous Ascot Racecourse, Windsor Racecourse and superb racecourse for the new racegoer Newbury Racecourse.
Home to Britain's most famous racecourse, Ascot Racecourse ranks with the world's best racecourses and has a rich history linked to Royalty stretching back to 1711. Royal Ascot, the annual June five day race meet at Ascot Racecourse is one of the world's most famous racing meets featuring the legendary Gold Cup (Ladies Day) and attracting the very best of Equine talent. Accessible and friendly, Ascot Racecourse caters for all tastes and requirements from premier corporate hospitality facilities and award winning restaurants to informal dining, family racedays and Civil Wedding Ceremonies. A wide choice of luxury and affordable Ascot hotels and guest houses serve the racecourse.
Royal Windsor is a South East best holiday destination offering a range of attractions including magnificent Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park, a choice of boat trips on the River Thames and fun packed theme park LEGOLAND Windsor. Situated in the heart of the Thames Valley just 30 minutes from central London, Windsor accommodation includse 5 star luxury hotels set within extensive parkland, beautiful historic riverside inn B&Bs and unique independent B&B guest houses. Windsor boat hire is also widely available for leisurely boating holidays on the River Thames.
Bracknell hotels are perfect for both business and leisure visitors to Berkshire. Within easy reach of the M4, M3, M25 and Heathrow Airport, the Bracknell Forest area is also conveniently close to Ascot Racecourse and Windsor attractions. Bracknell station affords train links to both Ascot and Windsor, as well as Reading and London Waterloo. Great family attractions in Bracknell are the science and nature themed interactive Look Out Discovery Centre with outdoor adventure playground and family woodland trails. Close to the Look Out Centre is the all weather family fun waterworld Coral Reef.
Thames riverside town Henley-on-Thames sits just in South Oxfordshire and has strong links with its Berkshire and Buckinghamshire Thameside neighbours. Regular boat trips along the River Thames are available between Henley, Windsor, Reading, Maidenhead and Marlow. Henley is a British centre for rowing, most famously celebrated in the annual summer Henley Royal Regatta. Essential visiting in Henley to find out more about the town's fascinating history linked to the Thames and Rowing is the award winning Henley River and Rowing Museum. Henley accommodation is luxurious and elegant, featuring a choice of 4 and 5 star Henley hotels and guest houses. Outstanding restaurants and riverside real ale pubs in Henley are numerous and the town contains an exquisite selection of independent shops.
Hungerford in West Berkshire is located close to the historic Kennet and Avon Canal in the spectacular Kennet River Valley of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This beautiful West Berkshire market town boasts fast train links to Newbury, Newbury Racecourse, Reading and London Paddington and contains independent hotels and B&B guest houses full of charm and character. Canal boat trips on the Kennet & Avon Canal are available from Hungerford and canal towpath walking, cycling and canal boat holidays are all popular in the area. A superb touring base for exploring both the West Country and Berkshire, visitors based in Hungerford have a wide choice of holiday experiences close to hand. Hungerford is just 4 minutes from the M4 motorway offering fast road links to Windsor attractions and Ascot Racecourse.
Popular River Thames holiday base Maidenhead offers an outstanding choice of River Thames boat trips and boat hire, including boat trips to nearby Windsor. Maidenhead is home to world famous restaurants, award winning inns and luxury 5 star spa hotels. Discover Maidenhead's fascinating history as Victorian and Edwardian Thames playground at the Maidenhead Heritage Centre and visit the spectacular National Trust estate of Cliveden, former home of the Astors, situated near Maidenhead.
Cookham along the Thames near Maidenhead with its ancient Commons is a popular boarding point for Thames boat trips and is famously associated with the artist Stanley Spencer. The Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham is home to an extensive collection of the artist's work, particularly scenes Spencer painted of Cookham.
Newbury in West Berkshire sits close to the North Wessex Downs AONB alongside both the Kennet & Avon Canal and River Kennet. A historic crossroads and once a centre for cloth making, Newbury has a rich history detailed in outstanding exhibitions at the West Berkshire Museum in Newbury centre. Stunning walks feature along the river and canal, as well as around the nearby ancient Greenham and Crookham Commons. Newbury town centre offers weekly markets and a choice of theatre and arts venues. Exquisite Elizabethan Shaw House is within walking distance of the centre. Newbury accommodation includes great independent hotels and guest houses within easy reach of friendly Newbury Racecourse and the Newbury Showground, host to the annual Berkshire County Show.
Both the River Thames and River Kennet flow through Reading which contains a dynamic mix of attractions and is a popular Berkshire accommodation base with both leisure and business visitors. Offering a choice of museums and galleries, Thames boat trips, great nightlife and a packed arts and festival programme including the big August Reading Festival, Reading is just a 25 minute drive from Heathrow Airport. Fast trains from Reading Station run direct to London Paddington and Heathrow. Ample choice of luxury leisure and country house hotels in Reading feature alongside serviced apartments, riverside inn B&Bs and elegant Thames waterfront hotels.
The outstanding range of attractions around Reading includes stunning stately home estates Basildon Park and Mapledurham House and a choice of boat trips on the river Thames and Kennet. Visit fantastic family attraction near Reading, Beale Wildlife Park and discover the history of Berkshire aviation and numerous historic airfields at the Museum of Berkshire Aviation near Reading.
Slough is Berkshire's premier Thames Valley gateway with fast train links to central London, easy access to Heathrow Airport and a wide choice of luxury leisure and conference hotels. Serving as both excellent business and leisure touring base, Slough is just 20 minutes by train from central London and sits close to Windsor attractions including Olympic venue Eton Dorney Lake, Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park. Superb leisure facilities in Slough include great family favourite the Slough Ice Arena whilst first class conference centres in Slough include The Centre Conference Venue close to the M4 with cutting edge facilities for conference events, exhibitions, weddings and banquets.
West Berkshire town Thatcham sits close to the Kennet and Avon Canal between Newbury and Reading. Boasting a pretty village green and ample services from a range of shops to fine country inns and independent hotels, Thatcham is surrounded by a selection of stunning nature reserves featuring precious heathland, fen reedbeds and sedges and ancient woodland. Essential visiting and superb attraction for children near Thatcham and Newbury is The Living Rainforest with Tropical glasshouse trails. Visitors based in Thatcham farmhouse B&Bs are ideally located close to Newbury and Reading museums, the North Wessex Downs and narrowboat trips on the Kennet and Avon Canal. The nearby M4 corridor also affords easy access to Thames Valley business sites and Heathrow Airport.
Market town Wokingham is ideally located for both the business and leisure traveller. Surrounded by beautiful Berkshire parkland and within easy reach of the M4, Reading, Windsor and Heathrow Airport, Wokingham accommodation includes luxury country house hotels, fine inn B&Bs and premier luxury apartments perfect for business visitors to the Thames Valley area. Top Berkshire sports and leisure facilities in the Wokingham area include a choice of Wokingham golf courses, many of which feature extensive conference and wedding facilities on-site. Watersports centres also feature around Wokingham near the Thames and just south of Wokingham is attraction gem Holme Grange Craft Village. Wokingham station afford direct fast rail links to Reading, Ascot and London Waterloo.
