Talk:Newbury, Berkshire

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I suggest moving discussion of the Newbury Bypass to a separate article, as there are issues beyond those which relate directly to Newbury as a town. It would also be convenient to link to directly from other articles (e.g. as I tried to do just now from A34 road, but had to point here instead). ,,,Trainspotter,,, 14:16, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Greenham Common and the A34[edit]

I'm baffled by the latest edit saying that Greenham Common had the longest military runway in the world "until it was broken up to help build the A34 by-pass". How can this be possible? They are on opposite sides of Newbury? Mpntod 18:44, Jan 6, 2005 (UTC)

It is not my edit, but I do know that the runway surface was used as hardcore in building the by-pass. I'll take a look at the article, and see if I can clarify. -- Chris j wood 20:11, 6 Jan 2005 (UTC)
The whole para was a bit difficult, so I've re-written it and hopefully removed the confusion. -- Chris j wood 20:32, 6 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Longest Military Runway in the UK[edit]

I'm a bit dubious about this claim. I know the runway at RAF Macrahanish (probably not correct spelling) in Kintyre is very long, and is rumoured to be an emergency diversion strip for the Space Shuttle, a claim I've never heard made for Greenham Common. Of course by the time the shuttle was in use, Greenham was no longer a front-line fixed-wing base, so there may have been issues with runway condition. -- Chris j wood 20:32, 6 Jan 2005 (UTC)

- according to RAF_Machrihanish, RAF_Machrihanish had the second longest runway. Joolz 18:00, 18 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Actually, I was the communications squadron commander at Greenham from 85 to 88 and had the Air Traffic Control in my squadron and can attest to two things, the runway was not the longest military runway in the world but it may have been the longest in the UK since it was constructed at one time to have B-52's operate off it. I can also personally attest to the fact that Greenham was the tertiary landing sight for the Space Shuttle on its northern most launches. I actually flew with NASA in 86/87 the approaches to the runway for that purpose. They were so steep they could only be flown using a helicopter a fixed wing airplane other that the specially modified Gulfstreams used for training ( and they were in the US ) could not duplicate the approach angles needed.

H.Van Leeuwen — Preceding unsigned comment added by 107.198.76.199 (talk) 12:59, 2 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Geography[edit]

The following is confusing: The parish of Newbury consists of the town, and the suburbs of Wash Common, the City, West Fields, East Fields and Speenhamland. The modern conurbation of Newbury, however, also takes in the surrounding villages of Speen, Donnington, Shaw & Greenham.

"The parsh" may be apt if one is looking at the civil parish but there are three C of E parishes within the same area and part of a fourth.

How do you classify a suburb? Is the City a suburb? I can't accept that Speenhamland is not part of the centre of the town.


Tricky DJ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.142.70.186 (talk) 22:55, 29 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Population[edit]

- Where are the population statistics from? If Newbury has a population of 32,000, and the area has a population of 60,000 (the area can't be West Berkshire because apprarently that has 143,000) - Where, apart from Thatcham do the missing 28,000 come from? (And Thatcham is not that big) Joolz 13:44, 19 Jan 2005 (UTC)

- - I've done some calculations and I've worked out that Newbury has a population of roughly 36,454, using the wards of Greenham, Speen, Victoria, St Johns, Falkland, Clay Hill, Northcroft. I chose these wards based on the maps at neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk and the population information contained there. The only problem with this is that it includes places such as Boxford (which is in the Speen ward) which really isn't part of Newbury. Joolz 15:27, 19 Jan 2005 (UTC) + The following is confusing:

- - Thatcham certainly is that big - a similar calculation for the wards of Thatcham (Central, East, North, South, South & Crookham, and West) show a population of 35,670 (2001 census). So the area figure quoted in the article is too low.

Famous People[edit]

What is the qualification for this section - several of those mentioned lived near rather than in Newbury. Would Beau Brummell qualify - he lived a mile from the town centre but in Donnington. Or Thomas Hughes author of Tom Brown's Schooldays (also Donnington).

In my opinion they count as Newbury residents as surely Donnington is just a suburb of Newbury. I'd like to know what other people think, though. I-hunter 08:09, 27 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The article itself defines the borders of Newbury. It is a town and civil parish. Anyone coming from outside the parish boundary is therefore - strictly speaking - not from Newbury. A suburb of Newbury is not necessarily part of Newbury. Shaw-cum-Donnington is a separate parish. Verica Atrebatum 08:49, 27 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would agree with Verica - but most of the people already listed lived in the area around Newbury - not within the parish or town boundary. For instance Theo Walcott (Compton), Gerald Finzi (Ashmansworth), John Kendrick (Reading & London), Geoffrey Eastop (Ecchinswell). They may have associations with the town - but did they originate from, live in or die in Newbury? Newburychap 19:18, 11 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Looks like it needs tidying up then, particularly the removal (or transfer) of the two people from Hampshire. John Kendrick is listed because of the large legacy he left to the town. Verica Atrebatum 08:33, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What difference does it make that they are from Hampshire? Ecchinswell and Ashmansworth are closer to Newbury than Compton (Theo Walcot) or Reading (Kendrick). Obviously there is no qualification - certainly not relating to any association with the town beyond using it as a local place to shop. Finzi is in fact one of the best qualified to be here - he founded the Newbury orchestra.87.81.252.131 13:18, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Just to note that Jaqueline du Pre has virtually nothing to do with Newbury - might have played a concert here. And that there is convincing evidence that Jack of Newbury (not O'Newbury) was John Winchcombe II, not his father (The Winchcombe Family and the Woollen Industry in Sixteenth-Century Newbury [PhD thesis], David Peacock, 2003). —Preceding unsigned comment added by Newburychap (talk • contribs) 21:34, 1 December 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Northcroft Leisure Centre section[edit]

To give the contributor the benefit of the doubt I will leave this section in the article for the time being, despite being of the opinion that it really does not belong in this article or is at least in the wrong place. It seems to be little more than advertising for the leisure centre. I would appreciate comments from other users. Thanks. I-hunter 22:07, 20 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I agree - reads out of place. Stephenb (Talk) 10:11, 22 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

North-South railway line[edit]

I recall learning (about 30 years ago) that the North South railway line (Oxford to Poole) would have passed through Newbury, with consequent economic benefits, had the landowners around Newbury not refused to sell their land for this purpose. As a result the line was moved east so that it met the GWR at Reading, which reaped the benefits instead. Is there any truth in this? Does anyone have any sources? Would it be worth including in this entry if so? Rachel Pearce 17:43, 13 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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Notable people clean-up[edit]

References have been added for most people in the 'Notable people' section.


Two remain unreferenced:

  • Harry Cotterell (1841–1925) – British trader
  • Alec Hopkins (1986–) – actor who played the young Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


One has been removed (left in the article as a comment):

(Reason for removal: appears to have been Abbot of Abingdon (see this ref: Knowles, Brooke and London (2001), The heads of religious houses: England & Wales, I. 940–1216, pp. 24-5. from Abbot of Abingdon; but doesn't appear to be necessarily from Newbury (see this ref, possibly instead from Newburgh, North Yorkshire)


The following need the sources verifying (I do not have access to verify them, but they come from the person's primary Wikipedia article page, and seem plausible), or need new sources as well:

  • Sebastian Faulks (1953–) – author: ref to verify: Debrett's People of Today 2005 (18th ed.). Debrett's. 2005. p. 534. ISBN 1-870520-10-6.
  • Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland: ref to verify: G. E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors. The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume XII/1, pages 161, 483 and 484. - this also needs better formatting/to put into a cite book template.


The following are using self-published sources:


The following need better sources:


The following have unreliable sources (see WP:PUS WP:DEPS), but have been used only as they appear plausible and no other sources are readily available. Please replace them if possible:

Thank you. Mxtt.prior (talk) 19:05, 31 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

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