10 reasons to move to Berkshire

Berkshire offers outdoor life, vibrant economy and riverside towns and villages with extensive history and Royal attractions all located within an easy reach of London. In Berkshire, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Here are some of our favourite reasons to move to Berkshire:

Berkshire has dozens of picturesque villages, many with enchanting Thames riverside settings: Cookham, Sonning and Bray, for example. The river Kennet flows through Hungerford and Newbury to meet the Thames in Reading, with scenic spots and wildlife habitats along the way. Both the Thames and the Kennet and Avon Canal offer opportunities for relaxation, whether you want to stroll the waterside or hire a boat.

The Berkshire Downs, the North Wessex Downs AONB and Swinley Forest are all excellent choices for walks, family outings, bike rides and outdoor activities.

It’s perfectly feasible to live a relaxed lifestyle in Berkshire while you pursue a career in London. Many towns are comfortably within 1 hour of Paddington, some considerably less. Sunningdale, the location for Sunningdale Villas, offers a journey time of around 51 minutes. The M4 motorway also runs through Berkshire directly to central London, passing Heathrow Airport on the way.

Amazingly, just one little Berkshire village has three Michelin star restaurants. It’s Bray, where Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and The Hind’s Head compete for gastronomic glory with Alain Roux’s Waterside Inn. L’Ortolan, near Reading, The Blackbird and The Woodspeen, both in Newbury, Coworth Park in Ascot and The Crown in Burchett’s Green are also members of the prestigious Michelin star club.

The Queen has several palaces to call home, but it’s no secret that Windsor is where she feels happiest. For this reason, Berkshire is a Royal County and many of its attractions have Royal connections which we lesser mortals can also enjoy. 900 years old Windsor Castle is an awe-inspiring historic building, Windsor Great Park has 4,800 magnificent acres to explore, and Royal Ascot is one of the most flamboyant fixtures in the social and racing calendar. The delightful riverside town of Eton has many Royal links through Eton College and the lovely village of Pangbourne was the birthplace of the Duchess of Cambridge.

Reading is a major town and a hub for shopping, dining and leisure. The Oracle is one of the UK’s most popular shopping centres which includes large department stores in the centre of town. Many of Reading’s restaurants can be found on the riverside; they include Comptoir Libanais, Franco Manca, and Miller & Carter Steakhouse. Reading University is highly placed in the UK rankings, and the Reading Festival is one of the country’s leading music events.

The Thames Valley/M4 Corridor is good for business and employment. There are growing numbers of businesses, both large and small, with an 18% total increase in large firms since 2010. The digital tech sector predominates, but information and communications, construction and business support services are also important. Slough, Reading and Bracknell are three of the main business hubs in Berkshire.