The Lexicon, Bracknell

Bracknell () is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, the westernmost area within the Greater London Urban Area and the administrative centre of the borough of Bracknell Forest. It lies 11 miles (18 km) to the east of Reading, 9 miles (14 km) south of Maidenhead, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Windsor and 25 miles (40 km) west of central London. Bracknell is the third largest town in Berkshire. The name Bracknell is derived from the Saxon Braccan Heal or Braccan Heale, first recorded in a charter boundary of 942 AD. In the Middle Ages, Bracknell developed into two small market villages, Old Bracknoll and New Bracknoll. By the 19th century, the two Bracknells had combined into a singular market town, which was an important centre of local industry, most notably for its brick trade. In the 20th century, Bracknell experienced a period of rapid growth after it was declared a New Town. Planned at first for a population of 25,000, Bracknell New Town was further expanded in the 1960s to accommodate a population of 45,000. During this time, Bracknell absorbed many of its surrounding villages including Easthampstead, Ramslade and Old Bracknell. As of 2021, Bracknell Forest has an estimated population of around 113,205. Today, the town is a busy commercial centre within the so-called Silicon Thames Valley and the UK headquarters for several technology companies. Bracknell is bordered to the south by Swinley Forest and by Crowthorne Woods to the south-east and south. Its neighbouring towns of Binfield, Warfield and Winkfield are part of the borough of Bracknell Forest and are gradually becoming absorbed into the Bracknell metropolitan area. To the east, the urban area joins up with Ascot to form a continuous conurbation that extends to Central London.

Bracknell is a constituency in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by James Sunderland, a Conservative. It was created for the 1997 general election, largely replacing the abolished county constituency of East Berkshire.

Bracknell Forest is a unitary authority area in Berkshire, southern England. It covers the two towns of Bracknell and Sandhurst and the village of Crowthorne and also includes the areas of North Ascot, Binfield, Warfield, and Winkfield. The borough borders Wokingham and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead in Berkshire, and also parts of Surrey and Hampshire.

The Columbia Centre is a landmark office building situated in the heart of Bracknell town centre adjacent to the rail station, bus station and taxi rank and situated prominently on Market Street / Station Road. The building is currently undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment, an enhanced entrance and reception area will offer a new contemporary style to the building.

Garth Hill College (also Garth Hill and Garth) is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Bracknell, Berkshire, England. It was created as Garth Hill School (a Comprehensive) in September 1969 from an amalgamation of Wick Hill Secondary Modern School (opened 1956) and neighbouring Garth Grammar School (opened 1965), the name of the latter referring to a former local fox hunt. The school underwent a £40 million rebuild in 2010, and was opened in September of the same year. However, it wasn't officially opened by Princess Anne until March 10, 2011. The school has recently gained yet another new building for the sixth form of Garth Hill, costing £6 million and opened in 2015 by the Mayor of Bracknell.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health services and other community based health services, primarily to the resident population of the Royal County of Berkshire, England, in the United Kingdom. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was established as an NHS Trust on 1 April 2000 following the dissolution of two former NHS organisations on 31 March 2000, namely West Berkshire Priority Care NHS Trust and East Berkshire Learning Disability NHS Trust. Mental health services were also transferred from Heatherwood & Wexham Park NHS Trust. On 2 May 2007, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust was licensed as a foundation trust.

Bracknell railway station serves the town of Bracknell in Berkshire, England. It is 32 miles 24 chains (52.0 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South Western Railway. It is on the Waterloo to Reading line.

Bracknell & Wokingham College is a general college of further education, offering courses for school leavers, adults and employers training their staff, and based in Bracknell, Berkshire, England. The college became Bracknell & Wokingham College in 1996.

Ranelagh School is a Church of England day school in Berkshire close to the centre of Bracknell. The school was founded by Lord Ranelagh in 1709.

Wick Hill is a suburb of Bracknell, in Berkshire, England.

Piggy Wood is a 2.3-hectare (5.7-acre) Local Nature Reserve on the northern outskirts of Bracknell in Berkshire. It is owned and managed by Bracknell Forest Borough Council.

The Brakenhale School (simply referred to as Brakenhale and formerly Borough Green City Secondary School) is an 11–18 mixed, secondary school and sixth form with academy status in Bracknell, Berkshire, England. It was formerly a community school that was established in 1958 and became an academy in April 2016. It is part of the Greenshaw Learning Trust.