Historically, Berkshire has been bordered to the north by the ancient boundary of the River Thames. However, much of the border with Oxfordshire for the western part of the county was moved in 1974.
Alfred the Great was born in Wantage, previously in Berkshire but now in Oxfordshire. The Great Western Railway reached Didcot in 1839. MG (part of Morris Motors) was founded in Abingdon in 1929.
The Vale of White Horse and parts of Oxfordshire south of the River Thames were previously part of Berkshire, but were lost to the county in 1974. Conversely, the Slough area north of the Thames was historically part of Buckinghamshire, but was transferred to Berkshire in 1974.
Important historical abbeys include Abingdon Abbey, Dorchester Abbey and Reading Abbey.
Oscar Wilde was imprisoned in Reading Gaol after his court case.
The county is known as the Royal County of Berkshire since the Royal residence of Windsor Castle is in the county. Politically, the county is now made up of unitary authories.
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the Word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.”
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809)