Bracknell remained a small village well into the 1800's. A Church was first proposed for the town, at that time with a population of 500, in 1849, and Holy Trinity Church was built.With the arrival of the railway in 1856, the town started to grow rapidly towards the end of the 19th century.
On a map dated 1882 the pattern of what has become modern Bracknell can clearly be seen. Many of the neighbourhoods of today have taken their names either from neighbouring villages that have been absorbed, or from the areas of countryside that have been developed. Many of Bracknells' older buildings (particularly the Churches and pubs) are marked on the map. For copyright reasons, the 1882 map is not available on Bracknell2002, but it can be seen at Bracknell's central library.
The biggest changes to the town occurred after 1946, when Bracknell was declared as a "New Town", to be developed to ease the housing shortage in London after the bombing of the second world war.The Bracknell Development Corporation was formed in 1949, with the vision of developing Bracknell into a country town having the benefits of workplaces, shopping, schools and residential areas in a country setting. The first neighbourhood to be developed was Priestwood, with the first residents moving in from London in 1951. The development of Bracknell has continued since then, with the majority of the old town being swept away in the name of progress.
The town today is still growing, and boasts most of the facilities expected in a town of this size. A theatre, an Arts Centre, a Sports Centre, a large pedestrianised shopping area and a number of hotels all contribute to making Bracknell an attractive proposition. A number of high-tech businesses have moved in over the last few years, offering employment to residents.