Business in Newbury - Business in Newbury

When William the Conqueror defeated the British Army at Hastings in 1066, he rewarded his knights by granting them land. One of his bravest and most powerful knights, Ernulf de Hesdin, was given 48 settlements, including the hamlet of Ulvritone by the river Kennet.

Ernulf divided up plots on either side of the road crossing the river – now Northbrook Street – and rented them to craftsmen and traders. This ‘new burgh’ was a success - more than 50 plots were taken up and the population reached 250 within a few years. Two watermills sprang up at West Mills to grind corn and finish cloth, and a church was built.

Over the next 100 years, Newbury became a prosperous market town, doubling in size to become one of the top 20 towns in the country. During the 13th century ,cloth and wool sales made Newbury the richest town in Berkshire, which was the fifth richest county in England.

This growth was due in part to Newbury’s role as a stopover. The road through Donnington, Newbury and Greenham was packed with sheep farmers, pilgrims, travelling artisans, and carts laden with imported wine going to Oxford.

Newbury was noted for its quality weaving and many arrived from across the south to seek work in the industry. One of these was John Smallwood – later known as Jack of Newbury. He turned a cottage industry into a huge export market – building the world’s first factory in Northbrook Street.

Traditionally, cargo from London had to transfer from boats to wagons at Reading, but after 1760 Newbury was made the last stop - bringing in food and drink for London’s growing population, as well as spices, tea and coffee for Newbury and the west country.

The Kennet was turned into a canal in 1810, and granary barns sprang up at the Wharf and West Mills. The railway arrived in 1847, providing fast transport to London. A thriving brush-making industry grew up and as the 20th century dawned, more infrastructure was put in place – a library, a racecourse, a new town hall, new sewers – and clubs and societies were established. The Newbury Show began in 1909.

In 1972, the motorway opened belatedly, and it suddenly became a lot easier to reach many places in an hour’s drive from Newbury. Commuting to London became easier, bringing wealth and business skills to the town, and laying the foundations for a boom in technical excellence.

Massive growth and migration into Newbury on the back of the technological revolution is seeing the town evolve from a rural market town into a more sophisticated centre for business and culture.

Did You Know?

Newbury had 75 pubs by the late 19th century and the teetotal Temperance movement set up a series of coffee shops and lobbied magistrates to shut down as many pubs as possible. Today there are just 26.

Thousands of glider planes were built at Elliott's furniture factory as the allies planned the massive D-Day assault on occupied France.

As air travel became popular, the government nearly chose RAF Greenham instead of Gatwick for a major airport.

Newbury turned down a chance to become a ‘new town’ to take London’s overspill population – a request which Swindon and Basingstoke both accepted.

The mobile phone was pioneered in Newbury. Vodafone set up in Newbury in the early 1980s, and the first mobile phone call in the UK was made in 1985 between Newbury and London. Today, it is the biggest employer with 4,000 employees in the town.