Berkshire's BOUNTY

Victor Charles finds there's more to Newbury than racing - Iron Age forts, ruined castles and famous stately homes are among its historic highlights

- Victor Charles

IT WAS A GLORIOUSLY sunny afternoon in August when we arrived at Oakley Farm Caravan Park in Newbury, west Berkshire, set up the caravan, and soon headed out to a nearby English Heritage site to make the most of the day.

We went to explore the scenic ruins of Donnington Castle. Standing on a hillside in rolling countryside, it has grand towers on either side of the gatehouse – the only part of this romantic ruin still intact. The castle was originally built in the 14th century for Sir Richard Abberbury, a knight who served The Black Prince. Thomas Chaucer, son of the poet Geoffrey, owned it in the 15th century, and it later became the property of the Crown.

Henry VIII stayed there in 1539 and Elizabeth I in 1568. It came under siege during the English Civil War, was badly damaged, and in 1646 most of the structure was demolished by order of Parliament, as it was unsafe. Today, only the gatehouse, the towers and the ruined walls remain. It passed into state ownership in 1946.

As we walked through the ruins, we could see ancient fireplaces and tried to imagine how it might have looked when it was a luxury residence. Inside the gatehouse, beautiful vaulted ceilings gave us an indication of the castle’s grandeur back in its heyday.

This dramatic ruin, in such a gorgeous setting, is a very popular picnic spot, offering fine views over the surrounding countryside. There are footpaths into the adjacent woodlands, so we wandered into the trees and went exploring.

When we returned to Newbury later that afternoon, we took a riverside walk through Northcroft Park, crossing a bridge over the Kennet & Avon Canal and passing colourfully painted narrowboats as we continued on the towpath to Newbury.

The town has a vibrant shopping centre, with a good mix of old and new buildings standing side by side. As the day came to a close, we returned to the caravan for a home-cooked meal of rice and chilli.