Bramley, just north of The Paddocks, is a growing village with a pub, train station, bakery and convenience store with a post office plus other community facilities however there are more shopping options to the south at Chineham and Basingstoke as well as to the north in Reading.

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Chineham Shopping, less than 10 minutes by car, provides the nearest large supermarkets plus other stores such as Boots, Matalan, Greggs and Costa Coffee as well as a local library. Basingstoke is just another few minutes further south and is the largest town in the county. Leisure and shopping facilities here include 200 stores at Festival Place alongside a selection of excellent places to eat, while if you want to shop for local produce then Basingstoke Market, held twice a week, offers a range of locally grown fruit and vegetables, plus cheeses, meats and other delicacies.

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A rich local history

Festival Place is home to one of the two large cinema complexes in the town and there are also three fine cultural venues in Basingstoke including the 1400-seat Anvil theatre -one of the top 5 concert halls in the country. The Leisure Park also offers a wide range of sporting activities including ice-skating and bowling together with an impressive Aquadrome for swimming and the unusual iFly Indoor Skydiving centre.

Although today offering a range of modern facilities Basingstoke actually enjoys a rich heritage dating back to Roman times and beyond - you can discover more at Milestones Museum in the centre of town. Alternatively, visit Whitchurch Silk Mill to learn about how fabrics such as wool, silk and Burberry gabardine have played an important role in the town’s development. Other historic places of interest include the remains of the Roman town of Silchester, abandoned in the 7th Century but a great example of Iron Age history and one of the best-preserved Roman towns in Britain.

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Outdoor pursuits and country walks

There are also plenty of opportunities locally to enjoy conventional outdoor pursuits such as country walks, cycling and horse riding with the North Wessex Downs AONB righton the doorstep including the Ridgeway National Trail and the Kennet and Avon Canal. Nearby Wellington Country Park is also a fantastic spot for families to enjoy a day out in the country with adventure playgrounds and an animal farm to enjoy. It should also not be forgotten that the county of Hampshire enjoys a fabulous coastline as well and you can getthere in less than an hour for sailing and coastal pursuits.

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Excellent connections

The Paddocks is ideally positioned in a beautiful country location but with easy access to the M3 (J6) at Basingstoke 4 miles away while the M4 (J11) at Reading is just 11 miles.The nearest train stations are at Bramley (2.2 miles) and Basingstoke (3.9 miles) with direct trains from the latter intoLondon Waterloo taking less than an hour.

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