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Wantage
Situated at the foot of the Berkshire Downs escarpment, Wantage is not only one of the Vale of White Horse’s largest towns, it’s also part of the areas rich horse racing heritage.
Birthplace of the legendary jockey Lester Pigott and surrounded by stunning downs and gallops, it’s no wonder the area is as popular as ever with racehorse owners and trainers.
Also the birthplace of King Alfred the Great, Wantage has historically made regular appearances in England’s history. The great king now lends his name to one of the town’s outstanding Ofsted rated schools, King Alfred’s Academy.
Home to an impressive 10 great schools, Wantage has undergone massive rejuvenation over recent years, with affordable housing and employment being a focal point for council redevelopment plans.
Additionally the highly active Chamber of Commerce has done a fantastic job in bringing business and trade into the area. With today’s town centres suffering from many outlet loses, Wantage has bucked the trend and was voted Britain’s Best Town Centre in 2014. Lined with many 17th Century buildings, Wantage town centre mixes old and modern architecture perfectly and is well worth a visit.
Conveniently located at a crossroads for Reading, Cirencester, Hungerford and Oxford, Wantage enjoys great transport links by road and bus, plus Didcot railway station is only 7miles from the centre of Wantage.