Hand-held virtual tour panorama showing the highstreet in Cookham. This is a pretty traditional market town and the panorama was taken during a country walk in the area in April 2012.

Cookham - Cookham visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Cookham' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Berkshire.

The ancient village of Cookham lies tucked away next to the River Thames in the north-east corner of Berkshire about 3.5 miles north of Maidenhead. This area has been inhabited for thousands of years and one of the larges prehistoric, stone axe heads was found in Furze Platt nearby. Other prehistoric burial mounds can still be seen in Cock Marsh.

Cookham is recorded in the Doomsday Book as Cocheham. The oldest parts of the current church date from the 12th century, though remains of the earliest church here dates from the 8th century. During the Middle Ages much of the area was owned by Cirencester Abbey and an ancient Tarry Stone marking the land boundary can still be seen on the walls of Dower House.

Much of the open areas around Cookham were donated to the National Trust in 1937 following a local campaign to preserve them. This has meant that encroachment and building on spaces like Widbrook, Cockmarsh, Winter Hill, Cookham Dean Commons, Pinkneys Green Common and Maidenhead Thicket have been prevented leaving Cookham with a very rural and relaxed feel.

Possibly partly because of this, property in the area is highly sort after and very expensive. The area actually contains three villages, Cookham being the oldest. Just west of this lies Cookham Rise which grew up around Cookham Railway Station. Further east again is Cookham Dean, the most rural of the three.

Cookham - Travel and Tourist Attractions

Train: Cookham Station with a change at Maidenhead for services to London Paddington.
Road: Cookham is 35 miles west of London on the M4, A4 and A4094. It is about 35 miles southeast of Oxford on the M40 and A4094 and 4 miles north of Maidenhead.