Newbury is perhaps best known for its racecourse but there is so much more to this little market town in West Berkshire. There are beautiful boutique hotels and restaurants to try, vineyards to visit and it is also the home to the castle where Downton Abbey was filmed. The perfect countryside get away.
Here are our tried-and-tested recommendations for how to spend a weekend in Newbury…
Where to stay in Newbury
The Retreat at Elcot Park
As first impressions go, The Retreat at Elcot Park has it nailed down – the drive up the gravel pathway to this red brick 18th Century country house is impressive in itself. Inside it has been lovingly refurbished, including its amazing orangery, where we enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast every morning and lunch most days.
But it’s the gardens and outdoor pool that make this place really special. The swimming pool is surrounded by the hotel’s gardens and neighbouring fields, and is the perfect place to relax in one of their wicker deckchairs, or enjoy a drink in the summer months.
In the gardens you’ll find everything from croquet to giant Jenga, and even a mini maze to keep you occupied. There is also a beautiful spa inside the hotel, where guests can enjoy the sauna and jacuzzi, or indulge in a treatment, plus a deli, Signet Stores, in the hotel courtyard where you can buy coffees and snacks.
And what about the rooms? All the bedrooms and suites have been designed differently but each has a country house feel. We stayed in the Sutton Suite, which was absolutely huge and had a super king size bed, double sinks and a freestanding bronze roll-top bath tub, with amazing views over the North Wessex Downs. There were also cookies delivered to our room daily which was a bonus!
Rooms at The Retreat at Elcot Park start from £225 per night, find out more here.
Where to eat and drink in Newbury
Yu at The Retreat Elcot Park
The Retreat at Elcot Park has two restaurants, 1772 Brasserie and their Pan Asian offering, Yu. It’s a gorgeous space and we dined on everything from spicy tuna rolls and salmon sashimi, to spicy ribeye of beef and shiitake mushrooms. The cocktails are good too!
The Woodspeen
It’s worth a visit here just for the Scandi interiors. Set in a restored 19th Century farmhouse, you can enjoy their seasonal menus overlooking their beautiful kitchen garden thanks to the floor to ceiling windows. We can recommend The Woodspeen‘s roasts, and their 25 Yards Gin, which they make using the botanicals from their garden.
The Boxford
If it’s a more casual pizza and pasta affair you’re after then look no further than The Boxford. Housed in a recently refurbished thatched barn, you can get all the classics here – margherita pizzas, carbonara and spaghetti with mussels.
What to do in Newbury
Newbury is situated in one of the most beautiful bits of Berkshire, making it the perfect countryside escape. But if you’re after a bit more than country walks, then there are plenty of other things to keep you occupied.
Visit a vineyard
There are several vineyards in the area, including All Angels which produces delicious English sparkling wines. You can book yourself on to a tour through their vineyards, which of course involves tasting some of their wines. Definitely worth a visit.
Newbury Racecourse
The market town is perhaps best known for it’s regular horse race days. People travel from all over for a day at the races, which is always a lot of fun and a great opportunity to get dressed up. There are fixtures throughout the year, find out more here.
Highclere Castle
If you are a fan of Downton Abbey and excited about the third film, then a visit to Highclere is a must. The location for the hit period drama and subsequent films, the house is absolutely beautiful and set over 5000 acres of land.
Tour the house, which includes an Egyptian exhibition due to its former owner’s links to the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun), and wander the gardens. Opening times vary throughout the year.
I’m Cosmopolitan’s Entertainment Director. I have an unhealthy obsession (some would say anyway) with Take That, Game of Thrones and Elf. Most likely to be found drinking cava somewhere while boring people about my theories on Jon Snow’s parentage (not the journalist).