Ascot is a small town in East Berkshire, England, south of Windsor, east of Bracknell and west of London. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the Royal Ascot meeting, and is reportedly the 13th most expensive town in England when taking into account the average house price. It is also among the ten most expensive towns in Britain to rent a property. 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 Englishēast and cot.
Governance
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. of All Saints' parish church
Independent senior schools in the area include Heathfield School, St. George's School, St Mary's School, Ascot, a Catholic all-girls boarding school, located in South Ascot and the 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, which received a 'Grade 1 Outstanding' assessment from the Schools watchdog Ofsted in 2009.
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. Most buildings are post-war with flats above the ground floor retail space. Heatherwood Hospital was at the western edge of the town. Ascot has a station on a bisection of the railway line from London Waterloo to Reading, Bagshot, Aldershot and Guildford, originally built by the London & South Western Railway and now operated bySouth Western Railway. As a consequence of the frequent service on this line, Ascot is now a commuter centre with its residents in both directions.
Royal Ascot week
The centrepiece of Ascot's year is held in June: Royal Ascot is arguably 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 procession of horse-drawn carriages from Windsor Castle through the great park and the village of Cheapside. 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. The course is still owned by the Crown.
Ascot also has an Army Cadet Force unit, called 4 Platoon Ascot. The unit, being badged as Irish Guards, means that the unit regularly sees Irish Guards events such as the St. Patrick's 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 Sunningdale Parish Hall 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 by the racecourse owners. They now temporarily parade at Sunningdale Parish Hall, Broomhill Lane. The unit now has a new Detachment Commander.
Notable residents
Boris Berezovsky, an exiled Russian tycoon, lived and died in Ascot.
