The Newbury & District 3 Service - Newbury to Hungerford

It operates Monday to Saturday approximately every two hours. End to end journey time is around about an hour. The 3a, 3c and 3x take a different route to the mainstay 3, so please be aware of this.

When you leave from Newbury the landscape quickly changes to farmland and woodland. You are soon in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The first village you pass through is Enborne. The parish church here, St. Michael and All Angels, dates back to the 12^th century and is a beautiful and historic church. The village also has a historic pub, The Craven Arms, which dates back to the early 18^th century. This pub has a great tipi in the grounds which is all weather friendly that you can enjoy being in for a drink or a meal. There is also a large outdoor play area for children.

Next village is Hamstead Marshall, home to the Dog's Trust for rescue dogs available for rehoming and adoption. Check their web site for visiting times & appointments, https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/our-centres/newbury

The church in the village, St. Mary's, dates back to medieval times. Close to the church you can see the gateposts of a former grand residence which burned down in 1718. This had been intended to be the home of King Charles 1's sister, Elizabeth of Bohemia, although she died before construction began. 

Kintbury is the home of the St. Cassian's Roman Catholic youth retreat centre. The centre is owned by the De La Salle Trustees. For more information see their website: www.thekintburyexperience.com. St. Mary's Church, near the post office, was a Saxon minster, but most of the current building dates from the 12th century. The village has two pubs, the Blue Ball on the High Street and the Dundas Arms nestled between the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal. You can stay overnight at the Dundas Arms. From Kintbury Lock you can enjoy a trip on a traditional horse drawn boat along the Kennet and Avon Canal towards either Newbury or Hungerford. For further information see www.kennet-horse-boat.co.uk.  The village also has a small nature reserve, the Kintbury Newt Ponds. The bus passes close to this on its route along the Inkpen Road.

Saint Michael's and All Angels Church in Inkpen is grade two listed and dates back to the 13^th century. Other grade two listed buildings in the village include Inkpen House, The old rectory, built in 1695, Kirby House built in 1733 and West Court House also built in the 18^th century. Inkpen is a wonderful place for walking. You could visit Inkpen Crocus Field near Post Office Road. This is a large field of saffron crocuses, one of only two in the UK.  Local legend has it the crocus field was established by crusaders in the 12^th century. The crocuses flower in spring and many wildflowers can be seen here in summer. A remnant of ancient heathland can be seen in Inkpen Common which the bus passes along Rookesnest Lane. Both these places are managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. See www.bbowt.org.uk for more information. The Crown and Garter is the only pub in Inkpen and can be found in Great Common Road which the bus travels along. It has a restaurant, coffee shop and rooms to stay in.

The bus service ends in Hungerford, an historic market town. This is a must town to visit for anyone interested in antiques and collectibles. You could easily spend a whole day here perusing the various antique shops and arcades. These include Below Stairs of Hungerford on the High Street which is owned by Stewart Hofgartner who frequently appears as a dealer on Dickinson's Real Deal. Antique shops in the town have appeared on Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip. Market day in the town is on Wednesdays. Stalls are set out along the High Street and often also indoors in the Town Hall. The Kennet and Avon canal passes through the town. On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays trips are available on the Rose of Hungerford, a traditional canal boat owned by the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust and operated by fully trained volunteers. For further information and to make bookings - https://katrust.org.uk  /  Tel. 01380 721279

Places for a drink or meal along the Newbury & District 3 Route

Craven Arms - Enborne

01635 253336 / www.thecravenarmsenborne.com

Blue Ball - Kintbury

01488 608126 / www.theblueballkintbury.co.uk

Dundas Arms - Kintbury

01488 658263 / www.butcombe.com/the-dundas-arms-berkshire

Crown and Garter - Inkpen

01488 668325 / www.crownandgarter.co.uk

Hungerford of course has many fine pubs, tea shops, restaurants, and hotels. Far too many to mention them all. Details of all of these can be found on the Visit Hungerford Website www.visithungerford.com