California-in-England was a pleasure park opened in 1931 by Alfred Cartlidge on 70 acres of wooded land, located a couple of miles south of Wokingham in Berkshire. At the heart of the site was Longmoor Lake, covering six acres, around which Cartlidge developed a picturesque pleasure garden along the western shore. The lake was promoted as “Berkshire’s best bathing resort” and was praised by medical authorities for its health benefits.
In its earliest years, the park was simply called Longmoor Lake, but it soon became popularly known as California-in-England. The “California” name had appeared on maps as early as the 1870s, likely originating from a brickworks that had previously occupied the site.
Visitors to the park enjoyed a variety of attractions: the lake offered swimming and pleasure boat rides, while a children’s paddling pool and picnic areas provided family-friendly activities. The grounds also featured a small zoo, a water chute, and the Snake Train—a road train that delivered fast, exhilarating rides around the park, quickly becoming one of its most popular draws.
In 1937, the park added a striking Art Deco pavilion, which became one of its most iconic features. The pavilion included a glass-floored ballroom, a licensed restaurant, and a bar, making it ideal for both entertainment and social gatherings. Regular events quickly became a staple, with Saturday night dances and Sunday luncheons drawing crowds from across the region. The dining hall was impressively large, capable of seating up to 1,000 guests, and it soon became a popular venue for work outings, wedding receptions, and conferences.
That same year, a miniature railway was constructed to provide scenic rides around the grounds. Over time, the track was expanded and rerouted to offer a longer, more enjoyable journey for families visiting the park.
During the Second World War, the California-in-England site was requisitioned and converted into an aircraft parts factory. After the war, it reopened to the public in 1946, resuming its role as a popular leisure destination.
In 1949, Mr. Cartlidge’s daughter, Vera, and her husband, George Bryan, borrowed £6,000 to establish their own pleasure park at Drayton Manor. Drawing heavily on the successful features of California-in-England, they incorporated a zoo, ballroom, large-scale catering facilities, and even their own Snake Train. Over the next seven decades, the Bryan family developed Drayton Manor into a major attraction, renowned for its family entertainment and hospitality offerings. Today, it remains a prominent name in the industry, with extensive conference rooms, suites, and meeting facilities in addition to its theme park attractions.
Mr Cartlidge died in 1955 and in 1960 the park was sold to George Studd who converted it into a holiday camp with chalets being built in the grounds. The main pavilion building was retained along with some of the old attractions.
In March 1965, the site was sold to the Caister Group for £65,000, who later developed a residential mobile home park on part of the land.
By 1973, most of the site was sold to Wokingham Rural Council, which announced plans to convert it into a public recreation area. By then, the camp had fallen into disrepair, and most of the old chalets had already been demolished. The council planned a touring caravan site, using the existing concrete chalet foundations as hard-standing. Thirteen chalets remained, privately owned under leases with 20 years remaining. The former manager’s house was retained as an information center, while the 1930s paddling pool and tennis courts were refurbished. The mobile home park was not included in the sale.
In 1975, members of the Bracknell Sub-Aqua Club volunteered to remove 30 old wooden posts from the lake, remnants from the days of speedboat racing. Plans had been made to retain the main entertainment pavilion and lease it to a commercial operator, but unfortunately, the building was destroyed by fire in 1976.
Today, the site remains open as a popular public recreation area, though hardly any of the original features survive.
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