Slough
©
Slough

Slough

Diverse Heathrow-corridor town whose trading estate gives it more economic energy than charm

Slough has an image problem, immortalized by John Betjeman's poem urging friendly bombs and by Ricky Gervais's portrayal of its soul-crushing office culture in The Office. The reality is more interesting than the caricature. Slough is one of the most ethnically diverse towns in Britain and has a genuine economic energy driven by its trading estate, one of the largest in single private ownership in Europe, and its position on the Heathrow corridor.

The town center itself is functional rather than charming, but Slough's great advantage is proximity. Windsor Castle is literally a 10-minute bus ride away, Eton College is across the bridge, and the Thames Path runs through nearby countryside. The Slough trading estate has its own industrial heritage interest if you have a taste for that sort of thing, and the forthcoming Elizabeth Line improvements are making the town increasingly accessible from central London.

If you find yourself in Slough, the real draw is the food. The Farnham Road stretch is packed with Pakistani, Indian, and Polish restaurants and grocery shops that offer some of the most authentic and affordable cooking in the Thames Valley. Do not judge this town by its reputation.

Guide

Eating Out

Slough's greatest culinary asset is its diversity. The town has a large South Asian population, and Farnham Road in particular is lined with Pakistani and Indian restaurants and takeaways that offer some of the best subcontinental cooking in the Thames Valley — authentic, well-priced, and without the tourist-trade flourishes of London equivalents. Look for karahis, haleem, and proper lassi rather than the standard curry-house menu. The Polish and Eastern European grocers on the same stretch are excellent for provisions.

Guide

Things to Do

Slough's most interesting historical claim is its astronomy: William Herschel, who discovered Uranus and built the largest telescope in the world in the 1780s, spent most of his working life here, and the site of his observatory is marked in the town. The oldest building in Slough — St Laurence's Church — has Norman origins. Beyond the town itself, Windsor Castle and Eton College are ten minutes away by bus.