Didcot

Didcot
Town
Didcot town centre, including the modern art installation The Swirl
Didcot Location within Oxfordshire
Area	8.48 km2 (3.27 sq mi)
Population	32,183 (2021 Census)[1]
• Density	3,795/km2 (9,830/sq mi)
OS grid reference	SU525900
• London	88.0 km (54.7 mi)
Civil parish	Didcot
District	South Oxfordshire
Shire county	Oxfordshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Didcot
Postcode district	OX11
Dialling code	01235
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Oxfordshire
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	Didcot and Wantage
Website	Didcot Town Council
List of places UK England Oxfordshire 51°36′22″N 1°14′28″W / 51.606°N 1.241°W / 51.606; -1.241

Didcot (/ˈdɪdkɒt, -kət/ DID-kot, -⁠kət) is a railway town and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England, located 15 miles (24 km) south of Oxford, 10 miles (16 km) east of Wantage and 15 miles (24 km) north west of Reading. Historically part of Berkshire, the town is noted for its railway heritage, Didcot station opening as a junction station on the Great Western Main Line in 1844. Today the town is known for the railway museum and power stations, and is the gateway town to the Science Vale: three large science and technology centres in the surrounding villages of Milton (Milton Park), Culham (Culham Science Centre) and Harwell (Harwell Science and Innovation Campus which includes the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory).