Ascot, Berkshire

Coordinates: 51°24′30″N 0°40′15″W / 51.4084°N 0.6707°W / 51.4084; -0.6707
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Ascot
Town
High Street, Ascot
Ascot is located in Berkshire
Ascot
Ascot
Location within Berkshire
Population11,603 (2001 census; with Sunninghill)
OS grid referenceSU925685
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townAscot
Postcode districtSL5
Dialling code01344
PoliceThames Valley
FireRoyal Berkshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Berkshire
51°24′30″N 0°40′15″W / 51.4084°N 0.6707°W / 51.4084; -0.6707

Ascot (/ˈæskət, -ɒt/) is a town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Windsor, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Bracknell and 25 miles (40 km) west of London.[1]

It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the Royal Ascot meeting. Its average house price of £1,019,451 as of June 2021 makes it the 13th most expensive town in England.[2][3] It is also among the ten most expensive towns in Britain to rent a property.[4] The town comprises three areas: Ascot itself, North Ascot and South Ascot. It is in the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot.

Etymology

The name 'Ascot' derives from the Old English ēast (east) and cot (cottage).[5] Ascott in Buckinghamshire, Eastcote in London and Eastcott in Wiltshire have the same etymology.

Governance

Ascot is in the district administered by the unitary authority of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. 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.

Churches

Chancel of All Saints' parish church

Church of England

The Church of England parish church of All Saints, Ascot Heath is a red brick Gothic Revival building designed by Thomas Rushforth and built in 1864.[6] It has a richly decorated interior. The east window of its chancel is a Jesse window with stained glass made by C.E. Kempe & Co in 1907.[6] Above it is a rose window by Hardman & Co.[6] The Church of England parish church of All Souls, South Ascot is another red-brick Gothic Revival building. It was designed by J.L. Pearson and built in 1896–97.[6] It has a central tower with a pyramidal roof. Its nave has aisles of four bays.[6] The ceilings of the chancel, baptistry and the crossing under the tower are rib vaulted.[6] All Souls' is a Grade II* listed building.[7] Ascot Priory was founded in 1861 for the Society of the Most Holy Trinity.[6] It has buildings designed by the architects Charles Buckeridge, William Butterfield, George Gilbert Scott and Leonard Stokes.[6]

Roman Catholic

The Roman Catholic church of St Francis is also a red-brick Gothic Revival building.[6] It was designed by the Roman Catholic priest and architect A.J.C. Scoles, built in 1889 and has an apsidal chancel.[6]

Local schools

Independent senior schools in the area include

Licensed Victuallers' School, which is located down the road from Ascot Racecourse. Papplewick is also based in Ascot. The local state secondary school in the Ascot area is Charters School in nearby Sunningdale
.

Amenities

Facilities tend to be geared towards the racecourse, but there is a small range of shops 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, a

London & South Western Railway and now operated by South Western Railway. As a consequence of the frequent service on this line, Ascot is now a commuter centre in both directions (westwards to Reading and eastwards to London
).

Royal Ascot week

The new grandstand at Royal Ascot
Main article: Ascot Racecourse

The centrepiece of Ascot's year is held in June:

Royal Ascot is arguably the world's most famous race meeting, dating back to 1711. The British royal family attend the meeting, arriving each day in a procession of horse-drawn carriages from Windsor Castle through Windsor Great Park and the village of Cheapside. It is a major event in the British social calendar. The course is still owned by the Crown
.

Economy

Ascot Racecourse employs over 70 full-time staff, which increases temporarily to 6,000 during Royal Ascot week.[

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

Ascot has a Non-League football club, Ascot United F.C., and the Royal Ascot Cricket Club which play at the racecourse. Royal Ascot Golf Club is located next to the racecourse.[citation needed]

Army Cadet Force

Ascot has an

racecourse owners. They now temporarily parade at Sunningdale Parish Hall, Broomhill Lane.[citation needed
]

Notable residents

References

  1. Independent.co.uk. 16 June 2011. Archived
    from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  2. ^ Scott, Patrick (11 August 2016). "Revealed: The most expensive towns – and streets – in England". mirror. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  3. ^ "House Prices in Ascot". GetAgent. GetAgent. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  4. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived
    from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  5. OCLC 6964610
    .
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pevsner 1966, p. 68
  7. ^ Historic England (3 March 1972). "Church of All Souls (1119809)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 July 2013.

Sources

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Ascot (England).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ascot, Berkshire.
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