Visit Newbury by Bus
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Getting to Newbury by Bus
You can get to Newbury by bus from many places including Basingstoke (32 service), Harwell and Didcot (X34), Reading (Jetblack), Lambourn (4) and Hungerford (3). All buses into Newbury terminate at Newbury Wharf Bus Station which is right next to the library.
West Berkshire Museum and Peace Garden
Upon arriving at the Wharf Bus Station there are a few immediate places of interest to visit. Opposite the Bus Station is West Berkshire Museum, housed in the 17th century Cloth Hall and Old Granary / Corn Store. Here you can learn about the district's fascinating history. The museum is free to visit (donations welcome) and has a nice cafe and gift shop. There is also a year-round programme of events and activities. See exhibitions of well-known characters and events that have shaped the local history, including the Cold War's Greenham Common protests. For more information, please visit West Berkshire Museum.
Across from the museum, towards Park Way Bridge, is the recently revitalised Peace Garden, providing a welcoming green space to walk through, together with a picnic lawn. This is a lovely place to relax and watch the boats go by on the canalised River Kennet.
Kennet & Avon Canal and Victoria Park
A short walk across the car park by the library is the Grade II listed stone building Kennet & Avon Canal information centre and tea shop. This is open daily for light refreshments, cakes, ice creams and canal gifts. Close by you can take a boat trip along the Kennet and Avon Canal on the Jubilee, a traditional narrow boat with a crew of knowledgeable and fully trained volunteers. For more information see Home - Kennet & Avon Canal Trust.
Walk over Park Way Bridge and on your right is Victoria Park. This has a lot to offer including an outdoor gym, boating pond and adventure golf course. The historic bandstand is often the focus of events throughout the spring and summer months. For further information see Victoria Park, Newbury.
Newbury Town Centre
The shopping areas of Newbury, essentially the indoor Kennet Centre, the modern Parkway Shopping development, Northbrook Street and Bartholomew Street are all a short walk from the Wharf Bus Station. Weavers Walk and Inches Yard are also worth a visit. Together these combine to offer a range of well-known national stores and independent shops, cafes and restaurants. Look out for Paddington Bear enjoying a marmalade sandwich in Northbrook Street. Locals cast a watchful eye over him after, as reported in the national news, he was stolen. Thankfully he was swiftly recovered.
Newbury Market, first mentioned in an account dating back to 1204, is held every Thursday and Saturday in Market Place. More specialised Farmers Market, Artisan Market and Vegan Markets are also periodically held here. For further information see https://visitnewbury.org.uk
Market Place is also home to the Corn Exchange, a thriving 400 seat theatre offering a mixed programme of exciting theatre, dance, comedy, music and films. See what they have on offer at https://cornexchangenew.com/
The Vue Cinema, located in the Kennet Centre, has 7 screens and not far short of 1,000 seats. For more information on the 2D and 3D films shown here see https://www.myvue.com/cinema/newbury
Shaw House
Grade I listed Shaw House is about a 25-minute walk from the Wharf Bus Station. Alternatively, catch the Jetblack or service 6 bus to Shaw Road / Church Road which will reduce the walk to around 5 minutes. It is believed Shaw House was King Charles 1's headquarters during the second battle of Newbury in 1644. It is now West Berkshire Council's historic and unique conference, meeting and event venue and is one of the best-preserved Elizabethan mansions in England. The House and grounds are open at weekends and school holidays between February and September. Admission is free (donations welcome) and there is a lovely cafe and gift shop. There is also a year-round programme of events and activities. In April 2025, the grounds were enhanced with the opening of a Tudor style Garden. Click here for further information about the historic Shaw House.
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse (https://newburyracecourse.co.uk) is nationally regarded for its horse racing, hosting around 31 race days a year. It also hosts many conferences, concerts (Tom Jones, Madness and Simply Red to name drop a few!) and exhibitions. The Racecourse Estate is served Monday to Saturday by the 9 service. The 8 service comes close to the Racecourse - ask the driver to drop you off in Racecourse Road.
Donnington Castle
Donnington is best known for its 14th century castle, or to be exact, its castle ruins. They are situated a little over two miles from the Wharf Bus Station. The X34 bus service gets you to the Oxford Road, just a few minutes' walk from the Castle. The castle was attacked many times during the English Civil War, at one time enduring an eighteen-month siege. In 1646 all but the gatehouse was demolished. You can now walk and picnic around the castle remains. Two pubs are nearby, The Hartley Arms and the Castle Inn. Both recommended!
For more information on what Newbury has to offer please see https://visitnewbury.org.uk/
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