Newbury is a thriving and vibrant market town in Berkshire surrounded by beautiful countryside and with excellent connectivity.

The town is perhaps best known for being home to one of the UK’s leading racecourses, staging 29 race days a year, though it is notable for its architecture too, with a 15th century church and many 17th and 18th century listed buildings.

Newbury has lots to offer as a destination, with two very popular theatres, the Corn Exchange and the Watermill Theatre, as well as a twice-weekly market, on Thursdays and Saturdays. The wide variety of eateries in the town centre includes independents alongside familiar brands, with a choice of well-regarded pubs in the numerous nearby villages.

The surrounding countryside is largely unspoiled, with Highclere Castle – the real-life Downton Abbey – five miles south of the town, set within its 5,000-acre estate.

A superb choice of schools is a big draw, with excellent options at all levels, both state and private. In addition, the connectivity by both road and rail makes the area sought after by those who want to be in the countryside but within easy reach of London. There is a mainline train service from Newbury to London Paddington from 41 minutes or from nearby Reading on the Elizabeth line from 23 minutes. The area also benefits from connections to the M4 and the A34 offering access to the capital as well as Heathrow, Reading, Oxford, Swindon, Basingstoke, the West Country, the south coast and the Midlands.

Moving to the area

Our buyers tend to be young families making decisions about schools and those who are hybrid working, spending part of the week working from home, which has opened up the possibility of village life.

The rental market is driven by professionals, looking for convenience, as well as families, who are either moving from within the area or from London, and looking for the ‘best of both worlds’ – good connectivity with a rural feel.

House prices

In terms of house prices, the area offers relative value for money in comparison to other popular commuter locations in the Home Counties. A four or five bedroom village home with a good sized garden is around £850,000 to £1.7m, while from around £1.75m to £2.5m you’ll get a substantial family home with maybe a couple of acres and a swimming pool or tennis court.

Popular villages include Kingsclere, Highclere, Woolton Hill, Kintbury, Brightwalton, Chieveley, Hermitage and Cold Ash, to name but a few, while in the town itself, prime residential neighbourhoods include Speen, Donnington, West Mills and Tydehams, where you can expect to pay more than £1m for a four to five bedroom house.

In the rental market, one and two bedroom apartments attract an average of between £900 and £1,700 per calendar month, while family houses typically command a monthly rental of between £2,500 up to around £4,500 and beyond.

Town centre living is particularly popular with professional tenants, who look for contemporary accommodation that is close to amenities. Families tend to look beyond the town to find best-in-class 3-5 bedroom detached houses with larger gardens. Character is sought after but with contemporary layouts. Hungerford is a hotspot and the rural parts of West Berkshire are perennially popular.

To discover more, here’s a selection of homes currently available: