Berkeley is an ancient English settlement, referred to in the Doomsday book as "Berchelai". Berkeley is the birthplace of Edward Jenner, the originator of vaccination, who in 1796 discovered the vaccine for smallpox. The Vicarage, Edward Jenner's home is now  Dr. Jenner's House Museum and Garden, you can still see the hut in the garden where he carried out his first vaccinations. The town is also noted for Berkeley Castle, the site of the imprisonment and gruesome murder of King Edward II in 1327. Berkeley is a neighbour to the site of Berkeley Power Station, the first commercial nuclear power station to enter service in the UK.

The town is located mid-way between Bristol and Gloucester on the south bank of the River Severn. The town sits on a hill, surrounded by marshland which forms part of the flood plain for the River Severn. The central area of Berkeley is a designated conservation area and includes many listed buildings.

Following the 1974 re-organisation of Local Government, the Parish of Berkeley regained its Town Status and its Mayor. Within these pages there is information about the Town Council and the facilities it provides. If you would like to find out more about Berkeley Town Council, please do not hesitate to contact the Town Council Office.