Newbury Berkshire Newbury Berkshire Newbury is situated in West Berkshire just south of the M4, equidistant from Swindon and Reading, making it less than an hour by car from London. Newbury is kept picturesque though by the Kennet & Avon Canal running through its centre and the glorious surrounding countryside that’s popular with ramblers. Newbury is perhaps most famous for its excellent racecourse where many of the country’s top races are held, such as the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, with considerable sums of prize money up for grabs. The town itself also benefits from a real buzz on race days due to the sudden influx of visitors. In addition to the racecourse Newbury boasts an excellent open-air market held every Thursday and Saturday since 1204. Here you can buy a variety of goods but it’s best known for its antiques and vast quantities of fresh produce from fish to flowers. Every May the area plays host to the Newbury Spring Festival, consisting of a series of concerts ranging from classical music to jazz, in different venues across the town. Whilst in the summer months the place to be is in and around the Corn Exchange where you’ll find plenty of theatrical and comedy productions to keep the whole family entertained. Newbury is well known as having one of the country’s finest racecourses and is home to 28 days Flat & National Hunt Racing each year. Apart from its race meetings it is also home to various conference and exhibitions throughout the year. A new grandstand was recently opened in 2000 to give race goers more viewing space and have added to the appeal of this excellent course.