The Castle

It's where locals come for a proper drink and good food, and it sits just a short walk from the Kennet and Avon Canal. If you've been walking along the towpath watching narrowboats navigate the locks, this is a natural place to stop and rest.

Newbury itself rewards a bit of time. You'll find independent shops scattered through town, a theatre, and just outside the centre stand the ruins of Donnington Castle if you want to dig into some local history. While technically in West Berkshire rather than the Cotswolds proper, Newbury functions as a genuine hub when you're moving to or from the wider Cotswolds region, and it's well connected to Reading and Hungerford by transport links. The town has a straightforward, unpretentious character that lets you get a real sense of how people actually live here rather than experiencing somewhere packaged for tourists. Whether you're using it as a base for exploring further or just breaking up a journey, you'll get an authentic local experience.