Bracknell History in Old Photos & Film

Vintage postcard of the High Street, Bracknell, Berkshire, England

Enjoy a glimpse of history through old images of Bracknell in Berkshire, England, UK.


Bracknell is a town of 83,000 people located in the south east corner of the English county of Berkshire, close to the border with Surrey.

Originally just a village, Bracknell found itself allocated as a ‘New Town’ by Local Authority (Council) town planners in 1949. Consequently its population and buildings have grown rapidly into a large town, absorbing many small communities into its suburbs.

Because it’s just 34 miles west of Central London and is surrounded by wooded countryside, the town enjoys high levels of employment, is home to many leading UK companies, and is relatively wealthy compared to many parts of England.

But the 1960s shopping centre was falling out of favour so in 2017 The Lexicon Centre was opened as part of a £750 million pound regeneration by the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (comprising Legal and General and Schroder) and Bracknell Forest Council.


Police Recruitment Film: 1973

This Police recruitment film, ‘Anything Can Happen’, is absolutely hilarious. It shows how much of the profession has changed.

There’s talk of getting to know the area, including the ‘local cars’.

Plus, as a serving police officer, a house came with the job!

Much of what the officers say would get them sacked these days. If you’re a woman thinking about signing up? Well, a WPC driving the little police car was breaking the glass ceiling!

Worth watching for comedy value alone, but also shows a variety of local places back in 1973.


Bracknell Old Photos: 1950s

A video showcasing a selection of black and white photos takes us back to the New Town’s major developments of the 1950s.


Duke of Edinburgh Visits Bracknell: 1955

This footage from the British Pathé shows the Duke of Edinburgh visiting Berkshire in 1955.

First, he arrives at Farley Hall, a Grade 1 listed house dating from 1729, which nestles in the heart of the Berkshire countryside at Farley Estate. There, H. M. Lieutenant for Berkshire, Mr. H. A. Benyon, received the Duke.

Next, the Duke tours the factory of Tyrrel Holland & Co. Ltd, high class tailors.

Then the new Cricket Club Pavilion is officially opened by the Duke who unlocks the door.

The next stop is the Fluidrive Engineering Co. Here the Duke tours the factory.

Now the Duke visits 6, Lindenhill Road, home of Mr and Mrs Wells. Mr Wells works as a machine operator in one of Bracknell’s new factories. 

Then the Duke plans a tree to commemorate his visit.

Finally, the Duke of Edinburgh completes his official visit by laying the foundation stone of the new Church buildings. The Bishop of Oxford officiates this event.

Lots of people watch, and we see clips of local housing.


Miss Agness Barker’s 100th Birthday : 1956

Miss Agnes Barker celebrated her 100th birthday in 1956. British Pathé recorded the old lady sitting in bed, attended by her niece Miss F. Barker to the left, and Mrs E. Kitchen on her right. 

She holds the large greetings telegram sent to her by Queen Elizabeth II, who had become the reigning monarch four years previously and in 1956 was about 30 years old.


16 Meadow Way: 1965

Denis Godliman filmed this short 1 minute clip on his cine camera. The filming was also undertaken at 16 Meadow Way Bracknell. 

The baby filmed at the tail end of the video is Anthony Willis, son of Molly and Alan Willis.

Whilst this is a short clip of a family event, it’s a nice record of the people who lived in Meadow Way in the 1960s.


Bracknell Folk & Roots Festival: 1988

In the 1980s South Hill Park was the venue for the popular annual Bracknell Folk & Roots Festival. 

This half hour programme, digitised from a VHS video, records some of the 1988 festival and interviews some of the event’s artists.

Includes Maddy Prior & June Tabor who performed as the Silly Sisters, Hungary’s Marta Sebestyen & Muzsikas, Roy Bailey & Leon Rosselson, kora masters Dembo Konte & Kausu Kuyateh, and some traditional morris and clog dances. 


Met Office QA Lab in Bracknell: 1990

This video was produced for the UK Met Office in 1990, but was shelved because of sound and visual quality issues.

It covers the work of the Quality Assurance Laboratory based in Western Road, which later moved to Exeter and was ultimately disbanded.

The museum instruments shown in the final scenes later transferred to the Science Museum’s reserve collection storage facility at Wroughton, Wiltshire.


Reorganisation Breakfast in GSD

Photos of a breakfast to celebrate the new reorganization in GSD. 


Bracknell Festival: 1994

This is a 1994 home video of a performance at the Bracknell Festival in South Hill Park.


Flooded Berkshire: 2007

A video from July 2007 shows the traffic struggling through water logged roads. 


Michael Schumacher At Mercedes Factory HQ: 2009

At an official event at the Mercedes HQ, Ross Brawn and Nick Fry formally announced the new driver, Michael Schumacher.


Queen Bees On South Today: 2010

The elite ice hockey team, the Bracknell Queen Bees, featured on South Today in June 2010.


Bracknell Town Centre: 2013

In 2013, work started on overhauling Bracknell’s 1960s town centre. Many of the structures would disappear or change beyond recognition.

This first home video from June 2013 was made after the shops had closed but before the bulldozers arrived.

Starting with the noisy escalators in Charles Square, this second home movie from the same summer captures the fountain which was also a clock.


More Pictures of Old Bracknell

Old Bracknell‎ in Berkshire, England, enjoyed through historic photos, vintage pictures & archive film. Browse history in these fascinating old images of a bygone era on my Pinterest board.


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