Ramsbury is a pre-medieval village steeped in history and tradition, embosomed in the picturesque and unspoilt Kennet Valley in the Marlborough Downs. Ramsbury was the winner of the Large Village category in the 2011 Best Kept Village competition where following the competition a presentation was made by the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire.
With Marlborough only six miles to the west and Hungerford only just over four miles to the east, Ramsbury makes commutability to London stress free, with frequent trains from Hungerford (just over an hour to Paddington), Newbury and Swindon. There are also a couple of other villages nearby including Aldbourne and Chilton Foliat.
Ramsbury sits in the middle of approximately 70 square miles of rolling English countryside, with only one significant B-road running through it, with the M4 to the north and the A4 to the south. Other than these and a few local lanes, the countryside is happily completely uninterrupted and keen shots will be glad to learn a few opportunities can arise to join one of the local shoots in the area.
Ramsbury Holy Cross
Today’s community boasts a thriving primary school, a large modern surgery, shops, post office, doctor’s surgery, some pretty churches and a wide range of clubs, societies and services, including Ramsbury & Aldbourne Bowls Club, Ramsbury & Axford Golf Society, Ramsbury CC, Ramsbury Netball Club and Ramsbury Tennis Club for those keen sports enthusiasts. There are also clubs for painting, theatre, ballet and music. Alongside this the village retains that countryside village ‘feel’ with a couple of idyllic pubs serving a good pint and Sunday roast, most notably The Bell Pub (where visitors can also get a bed for the night). For those wanting to enjoy a good café, purchase farm shop wares or visit an excellent fishmonger the delicious Cobbs farm shop is only a 10 minute drive away.
The Bell at Ramsbury
A word of warning, although The Bell Pub is extremely popular, it can bring parking issues to residents and visitors alike. When there is an event going on at the pub then it is fairly difficult to find a parking space in the village centre. Having said this, the traffic in and out of Ramsbury is never congested due to the multiple routes to enter and exit the village. Furthermore, as the village sits on the River Kennet there can be a risk of flooding too.
If you are looking to visit or buy in the village then make sure to pop in to see the local jeweller, a fellow resident of Ramsbury. Peter Page is a designer and goldsmith who is internationally known and is also a lecturer at Central St. Martin’s College. His work is commissioned, collected and exhibited worldwide and has been featured in many publications.
Properties in and around the village are attractive to potential buyers due to the schooling and easy commutability. There are plenty of quality schools to choose from for children of all ages including Ramsbury Primary School, Stepping Stones, Pinewood, St Francis, St. Gabriels, Cheam and Horris Hill.
Many of the properties in the village of Ramsbury are listed with a predominance of period and character houses centred around the village square. The core of the village boasts mainly Georgian properties, with a sprinkling of Victorian houses, while on the outskirts you will find the majority of new builds which luckily do not damage the old and traditional aesthetic.
The profile of buyers in Ramsbury has remained constant over the year, and comprises mainly local families with children and a few weekenders at the top end of the market. However, the one fairly transient group of buyers are the families who have children at Marlborough College and they will remain in the village for 5 or 6 years to serve this purpose and then move on again.
Prices in the area hold strong competition due to Ramsbury being a medium-sized village with a lot of demand, and the very good houses seldom come to the market. If you are looking to buy and build then be prepared for strong competition for plots where you can gain planning permission. It is hard to get a ‘bargain deal’ in Ramsbury as it is widely thought of as one of the best villages in Wiltshire. Prices in the region are above their position prior to the Lehman’s crisis.
Examples of house prices in in Ramsbury (all approximate):
* 2/3 bedroom terraced house in the village: approximately in the region of £600,000
* 5/6 bedroom good quality detached period house: in excess of approximately £1.5m
* 6 plus bedrooms, period property on edge of village with tennis court, swimming pool and staff accommodation: in excess of approximately £3m.
Bobby Hall is head of the Southern Region for The Buying Solution
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