Ascot, Berkshire
Coordinates: 51°24′30″N 0°40′15″W / 51.4084°N 0.6707°W
| Ascot | |
 Ascot High Street |
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 Ascot
Ascot shown within Berkshire |
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| Population | 11,603 2001 Census (with Sunninghill) |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,100 (2001) |
| OS grid reference | SU925685 |
| Civil parish | Sunninghill and Ascot |
| Unitary authority | Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Ceremonial county | Berkshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ASCOT |
| Postcode district | SL5 |
| Dialling code | 01344 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Windsor |
Ascot (/ˈæskət/) is a village in the east of Berkshire, England, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of London.[1] 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 and South Ascot.
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Governance [edit]
Ascot is in the district administered by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, a unitary authority. Ascot, South Ascot and a small part of North Ascot are in the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, although most of North Ascot is in the civil parish of Winkfield, in the district of Bracknell Forest.
Amenities [edit]
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 Starbucks and a Costa, a Subway, Tesco Express and Budgens). Most buildings are post-war with flats above the ground floor retail space. Heatherwood Hospital 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).
Local schools [edit]
Independent senior schools in the area include St. George's School (a private girls senior school recently attended by Princess Beatrice of York), St Mary's School, Ascot, a Catholic all-girls boarding school (which Caroline, Princess of Hanover attended),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[citation needed] 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.
Royal Ascot week [edit]
The centrepiece of Ascot's year is held in June: Royal Ascot is without doubt the world's most famous race meeting, 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.
Economy [edit]
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 Pacific, 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.
Sport and leisure [edit]
Ascot has a Non-League football club Ascot United F.C. who play at Ascot Racecourse.
Army Cadet Force [edit]
Ascot also has an Army Cadet Force 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.
Notable residents [edit]
- Chris Evans, radio and TV presenter, lives in Sunninghill
- Sarah Harding, singer, Girls Aloud, born in Ascot
- John Lennon and Ringo Starr of The Beatles, lived at Tittenhurst Park, Ascot
- Camilla Luddington, actress, born and raised in Ascot
- Marti Pellow, singer Wet Wet Wet lives in Ascot
- Adam Roberts, science fiction author, lives in North Ascot.
- Boris Berezovsky, an exiled Russian tycoon, lived and died in Ascot.
References [edit]
External links [edit]
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