California Country Park

California Country Park is a 100-acre (40 ha) country park covering Long Moor in the north of the civil parish of Finchampstead in the English county of Berkshire. It consists of lowland heath and bogland, including Longmoor Bog, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Local Nature Reserve. The Park is managed by Wokingham Borough Council and is open every day throughout the year.

The Country Park is situated approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Wokingham and is bounded by Arborfield Garrison to the west, California to the east, the Nine Mile Ride to the south and what was once Barkham Common to the north. The site is 150 acres in size and features a six-acre lake.

The park features a ferruginous swamp, Longmoor Bog, caused by a bacterium that deposits rust-coloured iron hydroxide.

In 1931, it was established as an amusement park and Zoo by Alfred Cartilage and was called 'California in England'. Alfred built the park so that he could use his Charabanc company, based in Teddington, London, to take parties of people from London to the countryside. The miniature railway was initially laid out to 10.25" but was soon changed to 18" and this lasted until the outbreak of the second world war when the park closed and all the buildings were used for the manufacture of munitions, mostly for the aircraft industry. Alfred reopened the park after the war and set about developing the rides many of which were designed and built onsite, including the famous Snake Train. The railway was reestablished as 18" gauge using a petrol powered locomotive. His son, Norman took over in the early 1950s and continued the development of the site including realigning the miniature railway,adding new rides and running a circus for several years. The art deco main building, built around 1937, included a famous sprung glass floored ballroom over the restaurant and featured a full calendar of dances often 'with star turns' . This structure was later destroyed by fire.

...
Wikipedia