Local Information
Newbury has a fascinating history and is today a thriving, vibrant market town of great character with excellent transport links right on the doorstep. It is a very rural town surrounded by beautiful countryside. Newbury is also encircled by many pretty villages for those that prefer village life - but with easy access to all the benefits of a bustling town.
Nestling in the Kennet Valley, Newbury was founded by a Norman knight in the 1070s, although the British, Celts, Romans and Saxons had all farmed in the area long before then. With Oxford, Winchester and Salisbury just a day’s horse ride away, this busy river crossing was a perfect place to spend the night.
By the Middle Ages, Newbury had a booming textile industry, making it one of the top 20 towns in England. The town received a further boost to its fortunes when Georgian tourists stopped over on their way from London to Britain’s first tourist resort, Bath.
As in the 11th Century, Newbury’s location on the main crossroads between London and the West Country, the south coast and the Midlands, continues to drive the prosperity of the town. London, Bristol and Bournemouth are just an hour’s drive away, and Newbury is now an established commuter satellite for London with approximately half-hourly rail links to and from the capital.
Being right on the edge of the Thames Valley – once dubbed the UK’s own ‘silicon valley’ – the town has grown considerably with the creation of thousands of jobs over the last 30 years. More recently, it became home to mobile phone giant, Vodafone, which employs around 4,000 staff.
Although surrounded by large shopping centres in Reading, Basingstoke, Swindon and Oxford, many prefer the more leisurely shopping experience in Newbury. The retail development in Park Way due for completion in 2011 will increase Newbury’s attraction as a shopping centre in its own right, complemented by a good range of independent specialist shops.
The town has a profusion of eating outlets, and there are plenty of pubs and restaurants tucked away in West Berkshire’s lovely countryside within an easy drive of the town.
Newbury has also developed into a sophisticated cultural centre and boasts a vibrant arts community, with the Corn Exchange in the town centre and both Arlington Arts and the beautiful Watermill Theatre just a ten-minute drive away. The latest feather in Newbury’s cap is its brand new seven-screen cinema.
There are plenty of events in Newbury’s calendar, including its annual celebration of music, Newbury Spring Festival, the Crafty Craft race, the Riverside Festival and, of course, regular race meetings at Newbury Racecourse.
There’s a good choice of golf courses and health & fitness clubs, and plenty of opportunities for riding, walking and other rural pursuits. The local schools have excellent reputations with many families moving into the area simply to take full advantage of the education on offer for their children.
With all this on offer, is it any wonder that Newbury features regularly in surveys as one of the best places to live in the UK?
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