Ideal living

To the south of Newbury, the former RAF base at Greenham has been transformed into a heathland common and nature reserve, with the runway broken up and used to build the Newbury Bypass; it offers excellent walking. Surrounding the town on three sides is the North Wessex AONB, with footpaths and bridleways along the Ridgeway and the Thames Path.

Shopping in Newbury has recently benefitted from extensive redevelopment including the exciting Parkway project, which includes 50 shops, cafes and restaurants served by over 500 parking spaces. The new racecourse development also includes a hotel and leisure complex. There are lots of landmarks and attractions in Newbury itself: a quick walk around the town will bring you to the iconic town hall, St Nicolas Church, Newbury lock and the clock house. The old Corn Exchange is still in place for everyone to see; it’s a grand old building that now functions as an arts centre after it underwent renovation in the 1990s. Newbury Racecourse is a popular attraction with fans of horse racing and in November it hosts the annual Hennessy Gold Cup. www.hamptons.co.uk

Newbury lies just south of junction 13 of the M4 and east of the A34 and offers a direct railway service to London Paddington in under 60 minutes.