Newbury is a town in Berkshire County, about 60 miles west of London on the River Kennet. Newbury is well known for its racecourse and the adjoining Greenham Common, which was formerly an airbase. Newbury was also the site of two English Civil War battles, the First Battle of Newbury (at Wash Common) in 1643 and the Second Battle of Newbury (at Speen) in 1644. Today, the mobile network, Vodafone, has its UK headquarters based on the outskirts of Newbury which employs roughly 6,000 members of the city’s population.
There is a wide range of arts provision in the Newbury area such as The Corn Exchange, providing the main focus for both professional and amateur live performances. Annually the Newbury Spring Festival showcases classical music in a variety of venues and The Newbury Comedy Festival has rapidly become a key feature in the town's cultural calendar.
Newbury is served by two railway stations, Newbury and Newbury Racecourse, which both lie on the Great Western Main Line between London and Bristol. The M4 motorway runs 3 miles to the north, with the Newbury Junction 13 at Chieveley.
