Berkeley, United Kingdom
Berkeley is a town of 2,034 people in England, United Kingdom, founded in 800.
Why visit Berkeley
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 10 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Severn Railway Bridge, Edward Jenner Museum and Berkeley Castle.
Weather in Berkeley
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Berkeley
Berkeley is a market town and civil parish in the Stroud District in Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Vale of Berkeley between the east bank of the River Severn and the M5 motorway. The town is noted for Berkeley Castle, where the imprisoned King Edward II is believed to have been murdered, as well as the birthplace of the physician Edward Jenner, pioneer of the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine.
From the Wikipedia article Berkeley, Gloucestershire (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Berkeley on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do1
Severn Railway Bridge
Bridge · 2.9 mi
Former bridge in United Kingdom
Museums and landmarks9
Berkeley Castle
Museum
Castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, UK
Dr Jenner's House
Museum
Museum in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, UK
Purton Hulks
Monument and historic site · 2.8 mi
Number of abandoned boats and ships, deliberately beached on the banks of the River Severn, to reinforce the river banks
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes10
Berkeley Tea Rooms
Cafe
6A High Street, Berkeley
Mo,Th-Sa 09:00-16:00; Su 10:00-15:00
Boars Head Inn
Bar and pub
14 Lynch Road, Berkeley
Mo-Fr 12:00-23:30; Sa 12:00-24:00; Su 11:30-23:00
History
Berkeley was first recorded in 824 as Berclea, from the Old English for "birch lea".
Berkeley was a significant place in medieval times. It was a port and market-town, and the meeting place of the hundred of Berkeley. Recent archeological evacuations on the grounds of Berkeley Castle have uncovered remains of a significant Anglo-Saxon minster which was attached to a monastery of nuns. Evidence has been found of their having a significant scriptorium. The monastery appears to have been demolished in 1044.
After the Norman Conquest, a Flemish noble named Roger de Tosny was appointed Provost of the manor of Berkeley by his brother-in-law (or perhaps uncle) Earl William FitzOsbern. His family took the name "de Berkeley", and it was he who began the construction of Berkeley Castle, which was completed by his son, also Roger. A younger son of the elder Roger, John de Berkeley, went north to Scotland with Queen Maud, becoming the progenitor of the Scottish Barclay family.
The parish of Berkeley was the largest in Gloucestershire. It included the tithings of Alkington, Breadstone, Ham, Hamfellow and Hinton, and the chapelry of Stone, which became a separate parish in 1797. Hinton became a separate civil parish, and the separate ecclesiastical parish of Sharpness with Purton, in the 20th century. Berkeley Town Hall dates from 1824.
Read more of the history
Berkeley was the site of Berkeley nuclear power station, which had two Magnox nuclear reactors. This power station, the first commercial British reactor to enter operation, has since been decommissioned and all that remains are the two reactors encased in concrete. The administrative centre adjacent to the station is still active however – the centre was founded as Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories in the early 1960s and was one of the three principal research laboratories of the Central Electricity Generating Board. Since its decommission, SGS Berkeley Green UTC has opened nearby and serves as a technical college.
A local legend tells that the town was once home to the Witch of Berkeley, who sold her soul to the Devil in exchange for wealth. It is said that, despite taking refuge in the church, the Devil carried her off on a black horse covered with spikes.
From the History section of Berkeley, Gloucestershire on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Berkeley
Geography
Berkeley lies midway between Bristol and Gloucester, on a small hill in the Vale of Berkeley. The town is on the Little Avon River, which flows into the Severn at Berkeley Pill. The Little Avon was tidal, and so navigable, for some distance inland (as far as Berkeley itself and the Sea Mills at Ham) until a 'tidal reservoir' was implemented at Berkeley Pill in the late 1960s.
Education
Berkeley has a small primary school. The Vale of Berkeley College, the town's secondary school, closed in 2011.
Since 2017 SGS Berkeley Green UTC has operated on the nearby site of Berkeley nuclear power station with a specialisation in engineering and cyber security.
From the Wikipedia article Berkeley, Gloucestershire, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Berkeley
Edward JennerEnglish physician, scientist and pioneer of vaccination (1749–1823)Photo: John Raphael Smith, Public domain
Pfeiffer GeorgiEnglish cyclistPhoto: Hoebele, CC BY-SA 4.0
James PhippsEnglish child given cowpox vaccinePhoto: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0
Charles Beauclerk, 13th Duke of St AlbansDuke of St Albans (1915-1988)Photo: Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0
John Fitzhardinge Paul Butlerrecipient of the Victoria CrossPhoto: Gallaher Tobacco Ltd, Public domain- Michael PraedEnglish actor
- George SeymourRoyal Navy admiral of the fleet (1787-1870)
- Percy HurdBritish politician (1864-1950)
- Michael PalairetBritish diplomat (1882–1956)
- William Nealecricketer (1904-1955)
- Hampden Alpasscricketer (1906-1999)
- Nicky SmithEnglish footballer (born 1969)
Born in Berkeley, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Map of Berkeley
30 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Cotswold Airport (GBA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Dursley 5 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Charfield 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Thornbury 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Kingswood 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Frampton on Severn 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Eastington 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Wickwar 7 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Cinderford 9 mi north, about 15 min by car
- Chepstow 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Yate 11 mi south, about 17 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Berkeley
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Edward Jenner Museum, The Chantry, Church Lane, Berkeley, England-9March2010, Nick from Bristol, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Berkeley Castle 20140910 112917 (15134678849), MostlyDross, CC BY 2.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.