Newbury

Newbury: Kennet and Avon Canal

Newbury, town, West Berkshire unitary authority, historic county of Berkshire, southern England. The town lies along the River Kennet, on the Kennet and Avon Canal. Much evidence of Roman occupation has been found on the site.

During the English Civil Wars two important battles occurred at Newbury: on September 20, 1643, 6,000 men fell in battle when the day was won by Parliamentary forces, and on October 27, 1644, the Royalists overcame their Parliamentary opponents and were able to relieve the local Donnington Castle. In 1795 Newbury’s suburb of Speenhamland gave its name to a system of parish relief designed to supplement the wages of the poor.

Newbury was a centre of the textile trade prior to the English Civil Wars. Now light engineering, flour milling, woodworking, and the manufacture of light aircraft are carried on there. One of the best racecourses in England lies east of the town. Pop. (2001) 28,339; (2011) 31,331.