Villages South 

BAYDON

The peaceful village of Baydon is found on the old Roman Road of Ermin Street that dips and sweeps through undulating Berkshire - Wiltshire countryside. The total population of Baydon is approximately 560, including those from outlying farms.  St Nicholas Church is located in the centre of the village, and there is also a pub (The Red Lion), shop / post office and very well regarded primary school (Baydon St. Nicholas C. of E. School).  Community run bus service and other limited bus services provided.  For further information on the village activities, clubs and events can be found on http://www.baydon.org/ Transport routes via the Newbury - Swindon B4000 Ermin Street, with the nearby villages of Aldbourne, Lambourn, and Ramsbury close at hand with the large town of Marlborough being some 9 miles away.

CHADDLEWORTH

The village of Chaddleworth is a pretty village with a number of thatched cottages. It has a primary school, a pub and a population of about 500 and lies below the southern slopes of the Berkshire Downs, just east of the A338 road, which runs between Hungerford and Wantage to form the western parish boundary. The south-east corner of the village is called Nodmore and the hamlet of Southend sits only a mile to the north-east. In the north of the parish is Woolley and in the south is Poughley, both barely hamlets now. Woolley Down rises above the former. The parish mostly consists of farmland, with some scattered woodland such as Nine Acre Wood, Spray Wood, Down Copse, Rooksnest Copse and Bassdown Copse. The West Berkshire Golf Course, on Buckham Hill, and the northern edge of RAF Welford are in Poughley. The commercial centre of Swindon c.16m via the A420, where both also benefit from main line train services to London (Paddington).

COMPTON

Compton is situated within the West Berkshire District and is high up on the North Wessex Downs within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in a hollow of chalk downland. The village has a Parish Church, general store and post office, a public house/hotel, a surgery, a day care centre, a Village Hall, a Play Group, a Crèche, a Scout/Guide hut and a Sports and Recreation Centre. There are also two schools, Compton C of E Primary and the Downs Secondary school.  Compton is very well situated and provides excellent road links being seven miles north of the intersection for both the M4 for London and the West, and the A34 for Oxford and Southampton. Didcot is 9 miles to the north with a main line train station to London (Paddington 45 mins) with further stations at Goring, 6 miles to the East and Newbury, 10 miles to the South

FARNBOROUGH

Farnborough is a small village and civil parish in an area of outstanding beauty within West Berkshire on the Berkshire downs c.5 miles south of Wantage and c.10 miles north of Newbury and has a 12th Century church. The manor of Farnborough was held at the date of the Domesday Survey by the abbey of Abingdon, which had also held it under Edward the Confessor.  Farnborough has excellent road links to the A338 with fast route access to the A34/M4 and access to main line train stations to London Paddington from Didcot to the East and Newbury to the South. Within the area there is a wide range of schools, both state and independent, including junior schools within the adjacent villages of Brightwalton and East Ilsley.

FAWLEY

Fawley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. The parish consists of three townships, North or Great Fawley, South or Little Fawley, and Whatcombe; the latter was once a distinct parish. The village of North Fawley, lies in a hollow in the downs around the church, South Fawley comprises only the Manor House and some cottages, while Whatcombe consists of the Manor House, now a training stable, and a few cottages occupied by the stable hands. It is located in the west of the district of West Berkshire, close to the Berkshire-Oxfordshire border near the Ridgeway http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway, and just off the A338 between Great Shefford and Wantage.  Fawley is the original 'Marygreen' of Hardy's Jude the Obscure. Jude's surname was Fawley, set there because it was the home of Hardy's grandmother.  There are good road links to Oxford c.22m and Newbury c.12m with the nearest market town of Wantage c.5m, and a main line train station at Didcot c13.5m to London (Paddington 45mins).  

LAMBOURN

The village of Lambourn is located in Berkshire near the source of the river Lambourn on the beautiful chalk downlands of England. Lambourn is a working village and is famous for its association with the training of the world's finest race horses. There are over 1500 horses in training in the Lambourn valley with over 50 Racing Yards. The village has many amenities including shops, café, village church, public houses and a leisure centre and football club.  It lies close to the borders of Oxfordshire and Wiltshire on the B4000 road between Newbury and Highworth (both 12 miles away). It is 29 miles west of Reading and 71 miles west of London and is only a few miles away from junction 14 of the M4 motorway. What’s on http://www.lambourn.info/