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.
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 . At this time the original miniature railway terminus station was moved to the outer north-western edge of the extended play and rides area.