Mole Country Stores

Although Newbury sits just outside the traditional Cotswold boundaries in Berkshire, this sprawling store serves the wider region well and is worth knowing about. It's far more than a standard garden centre. The plants section stocks everything from seasonal bedding and perennials to shrubs and trees, alongside the full range of gardening tools, composts, and landscaping supplies for any size garden. There's a substantial pet department with feed, accessories, and health products for domestic animals and smallholders, plus practical country clothing, sturdy footwear suitable for countryside walks, and specialist equipment for people with horses or livestock. What makes it refreshingly different is the straightforward, functional approach to shopping. You can actually find what you need without the tourism premium that sometimes attaches to village shops in Cotswold communities. This is where locals come to stock up on essentials or track down more specialized items they won't find elsewhere. If you're heading into the region and realize you've forgotten something important, or you need supplies that smaller shops simply won't carry, it's worth the detour. The practical, no-nonsense atmosphere means you can get in, get what you came for, and move on without fuss.