Berkshire, sometimes abbreviated to Berks is a Home County in the South East 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 goes back to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1958, and Letters patent issued confirming this in 1974. Berkshire borders the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Greater London.

Ascot is a small town within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. 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 (partially in the civil parish of Winkfield) and South Ascot.

Bracknell is a town in the Bracknell Forest borough of the English county of Berkshire. It lies 18 km (11 miles) to the south-east of Reading, 16 km (10 miles) southwest of Windsor and 55 km (34 miles) west of London. The town is surrounded, on the east and south, by the vast expanse of Swinley Woods and Crowthorne Woods. The town has absorbed parts of many local outlying areas including Warfield, Winkfield and Binfield.

Cookham Dean is a settlement to the west of the village of Cookham in Berkshire, England. It is the highest point of all the Cookhams (Cookham Rise, Cookham Village and Cookham Dean) Cookham Dean is served by two pubs, Uncle Tom's Cabin and The Jolly Farmer. It also has a restaurant called Chequers and a hotel/inn called The Inn on The Green. Cookham Dean has a Post Office which also functions as a café.

Crowthorne is a small town and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It is best known for Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, which lies nearby. The Crowthorne urban area spills over into the neighbouring parish of Wokingham Without but the other half (perhaps more than half) is in the Bracknell Forest district. Edgbarrow Woods are between Sandhurst and Crowthorne.

Donnington is a village just north of the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It is in the civil parish of Shaw-cum-Donnington, along with the neighbouring village of Shaw. The village is best known for Donnington Castle, a ruined medieval castle of some historical significance, located within the village. It is also home to the Donnington Hospital almshouses, the oldest charity in the county, established in 1393 (although others formed later had older charities merged into them). The earliest building dates from 1602, but the complex is very wide-ranging, with additional modern almshouses having been built in Bucklebury and Iffley.

Maidenhead is a town within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated 25.7 miles (41.4 km) west of Charing Cross in London. The (Brunel-built) Great Western Railway passes through the town, calling at Maidenhead railway station and offering links to London and stations towards Bristol. It passes over Brunel's Maidenhead Railway Bridge (known locally as the Sounding Arch), famous for its flat brick arches. Maidenhead Station is the beginning of the branch line from Maidenhead to Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and is one of the proposed termini for the London Crossrail scheme.

Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former airbase at Greenham  Common. Today, Newbury town has a population of about 32,000 (2004) and, with adjacent towns such as Thatcham, is the centre of a continuously built up area with an overall population of around 60,000. Newbury serves as the major commercial and retail centre of West Berkshire. The River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal flow through the centre of the town, while the River Lambourn partly forms its northern boundary and the River Enborne forms its southern boundary (and also the county boundary with Hampshire).

Windsor is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is best known as the site of Windsor Castle. The town is situated 21 miles (34 km) west of Charing Cross. It is immediately south of the River Thames, which forms its boundary with Eton. The village of Old Windsor, just over two miles to the south, predates what is now called Windsor by around 300 years; in the past Windsor was formally referred to as New Windsor to distinguish the two.

Windsor is a popular tourist destination and location of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family. The castle was originally established by King William I of England but has been substantially altered and added to over the centuries.

As a result of the royal residence Windsor has facilities usually found in larger towns: two railway stations, a theatre and several substantial hotels. The town is also the location of Legoland, built on the site of Windsor Safari Park. On construction, several tons of hippo dung had to be removed from the enclosure used by the animals.
 
Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England approximately 33 miles (53 km) west of London. It is 6.8 miles (10.9 km) east-southeast of Reading and 3.4 miles (5.5 km) of Bracknell. It spans an area of 557 acres (0.9 sq mi) and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403.