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Newbury Leasing

Did You Know?

Newbury is home to some of the most stunning walking and cycling trails in the South of England, including the tow path along the Kennet & Avon Canal which passes directly through the town centre.

Burgh is an old English word, originally it meant a fort or fortified settlement and then it came to mean a town. Burgh is the origin of our word borough, in time New Burgh became Newbury.

Newbury was founded late in the 11th century following the Norman conquest as a new borough, hence its name. Although there are references to the borough that predate the Domesday Book it is not mentioned by name in the survey.

Newbury Racecourse celebrated its centenary back in 2005, which means that it is one of the leading racecourses in the country. As well as having more than 100 years of racing history to offer, the venue hosts the Hennessy Gold Cup, which takes place every year. The race usually takes place in late November.

There are not many lidos remaining in the United Kingdom these days, but Newbury has one. The lido in Newbury was initially built in the 1890s but the current lido was constructed in the 1930s. The lido is still in use, it is owned by West Berkshire District Council and it can host over 1,000 visitors a day when it is at its busiest.

During WWII, a Royal Air Force station was set up at Greenham Common, on the edge of town. This was the home for the US Air Force in the 1950s, and it was known for being the longest military runway in the UK.

Newbury is the home of Vodafone UK, which is part of the Vodafone Group, which is the second biggest mobile phone provider in the world. In 2014, Vodafone UK had 19.5 million subscribers, making it the third biggest mobile telecommunications firm in the world after O2 and EE.

Back in 1996, classic rock act The Who were scheduled to play at the Corn Exchange in Newbury. Keith Moon and John Entwistle turned up late for the show to find singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend playing their set with members of the support act.

The name Newbury was first mentioned in 1079 in the “Ecclesiastical History of England and Normandy”. It then had the right to hold a fair and a market. After that it was owned by a series of monarchs or their wives.

In the 18th and 19th centuries Newbury was important as a coaching centre being on the Great Bath Road. It developed many inns. There were theatres and horse racing to entertain the travellers.

In 1790 William Plenty founded a firm making ploughs and went on to build a revolutionary lifeboat and now makes pumps and filters. In the 20th century, Newbury has attracted many high technology companies such as Vodafone, Merant (formerly Micro Focus), and Quantel.