Everything you need to know about moving to Newbury, Berkshire

Where?
Newbury: a characterful market town in the heart of rural Berkshire, and a location for the new Downton Abbey: A New Era film, which was set in the town’s 5,000 acre Highclere estate. Steeped in history, Newbury sits on the banks of the River Kennet.

Why now?
According to Ben Horne, head of country buying at Middleton Advisors, Newbury has become a “gateway town because of its fast and direct rail services to London and Reading”. London Paddington is about an hour away by train. What’s more, with Great Western Railway’s multimillion-pound regeneration of Newbury station and an “enhanced” timetable, commuters will be able to whizz to Reading in no time at all.

In the town centre, property developer Lochailort has submitted a proposal to remodel the Kennet shopping centre. The scheme would revamp the existing Vue cinema and restaurant area, as well as introducing additional parking spaces and electric vehicle charging points. The Eagle Quarter redevelopment scheme, the plans for which are being evaluated by West Berkshire council, will also include 400 new homes and a street lined with small outlets, shops, and workshop spaces.

Tell me more
Newbury is rich in history with some of its architecture dating from the 15th century. The Cloth Hall, which is now part of the West Berkshire Museum, dates from medieval times, when it was a cloth-weaving factory built to give employment to the poor.

Schools are a big draw and the area is a magnet for London-leavers looking to send their children to fee-paying schools. The first choice for many is the mixed prep school, Cheam, in the nearby village of Headley, which the Duke of Edinburgh attended in the 1930s. The co-educational school has been teaching pupils aged three to 13 since 1645, making it one of the oldest private schools in the country. Newbury delivers on state schooling too, with St Bartholomew’s, the Castle School and Enborne primary school all rated “outstanding” by Ofsted.

Twinned with Braunfels in Hesse, Germany, the town is also home to a racecourse which is “reportedly the Queen’s favourite”, says Liz McLean, head of Savills’ Newbury office.

“Newbury is a classic market town, which is a great appeal for buyers. We see how its highly rated schools, variety of great shops and restaurants, and local cultural scene — such as the acclaimed Watermill theatre — are a big draw for families who are looking for access to beautiful countryside, but also want amenities on their doorstep,” McLean says.

Any green spaces?
Newbury lies to the west of the Berkshire Downs, and is surrounded by villages such as Hamstead Marshall and Inkpen in the North Wessex Downs area of outstanding natural beauty. Just 20 minutes outside Newbury, Inkpen is home to a field of crocuses believed to have been planted by the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages for the production of saffron. The wild meadow, which is managed by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, is said to be awash with more than 400,000 blooms of dark purple crocuses from late February to early April each year. Those who visit Newbury will also be spoilt with an extensive network of public footpaths through parks, canalside waterways and open farmland.

Do move to the area if . . .
You’re a foodie who wants to live somewhere that has chain eateries such as Bills and Nando’s covered while delivering on the quality of artisanal and family-run independents like Henry & Joe’s on Cheap Street and Valle D’oro restaurant on Oxford Street.