Things to do in Newbury: free museum, £9 Shaw House

Newbury’s best days out are cheaper than its reputation suggests. The town museum is free, so is the castle ruin above Donnington, and so is the control tower on Greenham Common. The expensive one is over the Hampshire border and shuts on 3 September.

Everything below was checked against the venue’s own website on 10 August 2026. Prices and opening times change, so the link is there for you to confirm before you set out.

Free

West Berkshire Museum, The Wharf, Newbury RG14 5AS. Entry is free. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, last entry 3.30pm, closed Monday and Tuesday. The permanent galleries run from the local geology through to Jack of Newbury, the cloth merchant the town’s history is usually told around. Nearest parking is the Corn Exchange or Library car parks, both of which are among the busiest in town, so see where to park first. (westberkshireheritage.org)

Donnington Castle, Donnington RG14 2LE. Free, open any reasonable time in daylight hours. What survives is the gatehouse of a 14th-century castle that was besieged during the Civil War, standing on a ridge with a view back over Newbury. The car park is open 7am to 7pm and costs £2 for non-members of English Heritage. The path up is fairly steep gravel and the ground around the ruins is uneven. (english-heritage.org.uk)

Greenham Common Control Tower, Burys Bank Road, Thatcham RG19 8BZ. The airbase’s control tower, run by volunteers as a visitor centre, museum and café. Open Tuesday and Friday 10am to 3pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 5pm, and the published hours list no Monday, Wednesday or Thursday opening. There is no lift and the climb to the observation deck is about 60 steps, but the café has a screen showing the 360-degree view for anyone who would rather not. Note that Burys Bank Road is closed between Crookham Hill and the Control Tower car park entrance on Friday 14 August, 9.30am to 3.30pm. (greenhamtower.org.uk)

Nature Discovery Centre, Muddy Lane, Lower Way, Thatcham RG19 3FU. Free entry to the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust reserve, with a lakeside café, shop and toilets open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm, closed Mondays outside school holidays. Parking is free with a suggested £3 donation and the car park closes at dusk. (bbowt.org.uk)

The Kennet and Avon Canal towpath at Newbury Lock. The lock sits in the middle of the town behind the Wharf, and the towpath runs west towards Kintbury and Hungerford and east towards Thatcham. It is level, it is free, and it is the only way to see the town from the water without booking anything.

Newbury Charter Market, Market Place. Newbury Town Council runs the charter market on Thursdays and Saturdays, with a farmers’ market on the first Sunday of every month. (newbury.gov.uk)

Paid

Shaw House, Church Road, Newbury RG14 2DR. A large Elizabethan house on the north edge of town, restored and run by the council’s heritage service. Adult £9, child 4 to 17 £6, under-4s free, over-65s £6, family £25. West Berkshire residents pay £6, £4 for a child and £20 for a family, which is the discount most people visiting from Newbury will qualify for and most will not think to ask about. Open weekdays 10am to 4pm and weekends and bank holiday Mondays 11am to 4pm until 30 September, then Monday to Saturday through October, closed November and January. Parking is free. (westberkshireheritage.org)

The Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Newbury RG20 8AE. A theatre in a converted watermill outside the town, named Theatre of the Year in the 2026 Stage Awards. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang runs to Sunday 13 September, followed by Murder Before Evensong from 25 September to 14 November. Box office 01635 46044. (watermill.org.uk)

Corn Exchange Newbury, Market Place, RG14 5BD. The town’s main arts venue, running theatre, comedy, music and a cinema programme in the middle of the Market Place. Newbury Sounds starts on Friday 4 September 2026. (cornexchangenew.com)

Newbury Racecourse. The next fixture is the August Evening Raceday on Wednesday 26 August 2026, gates at 3pm, first race 4.45pm, last race 7.30pm. Premier enclosure tickets are £18 in advance and £20 on the day, with under-18s free. Advance pricing ends on Wednesday 19 August. (newburyracecourse.co.uk)

The Living Rainforest, Hampstead Norreys RG18 0TN. A glasshouse rainforest north of Newbury, open daily 9.30am to 4pm all year except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Prices are shown at the booking stage rather than on the page, and buying on the door or by phone carries a surcharge of around 8 to 10%, so book online first. (livingrainforest.org)

Highclere Castle, signed off the A34 south of Newbury. The Downton Abbey house, open to the public for its summer season from 12 July to 3 September 2026 and pre-booked only. Castle and gardens is £25 adult, £15 child 4 to 16, £70 for a family of four; adding the Egyptian Exhibition, built around the 5th Earl of Carnarvon’s part in the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, takes it to £32, £17.50 and £87. Over-65s, students and disabled visitors pay £23 or £30, and a carer goes free. (highclerecastleshop.co.uk)

If you only have one afternoon

With children and no budget, the Nature Discovery Centre at Thatcham and the Control Tower at Greenham are both free and both have a café. Take the Control Tower first, because it closes at 3pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.

With visitors to impress, Donnington Castle for the view and West Berkshire Museum for the town’s story, both free, then the canal towpath back into the centre. That is a half day for the price of parking.

Booking something, the Watermill is the one to book. A theatre named Theatre of the Year, in a converted watermill outside a market town, is not a normal thing for a place this size to have.

Wet Wednesday, note that the Control Tower does not open. West Berkshire Museum, the Living Rainforest and the Corn Exchange cinema are the reliable indoor options.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in Newbury for free?

West Berkshire Museum, Donnington Castle, the Greenham Common Control Tower, the Nature Discovery Centre at Thatcham, the Kennet and Avon towpath and the charter market on Thursdays and Saturdays are all free to enter, though the castle car park is £2 and the Discovery Centre asks £3 for parking.

How much does Shaw House cost?

£9 for an adult and £6 for a child aged 4 to 17, with under-4s free. West Berkshire residents pay £6, £4 for a child and £20 for a family, against £25 for a non-resident family.

Is Highclere Castle near Newbury and when is it open?

Yes, it is signed off the A34 a few miles south of the town. Its summer public opening runs from 12 July to 3 September 2026 and tickets must be pre-booked. Castle and gardens is £25, or £32 including the Egyptian Exhibition.

What is on at the Watermill Theatre?

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang until 13 September 2026, then Murder Before Evensong from 25 September to 14 November. The Watermill was named Theatre of the Year in the 2026 Stage Awards.

When is the next race meeting at Newbury Racecourse?

The August Evening Raceday on Wednesday 26 August 2026. Gates at 3pm, first race 4.45pm. Premier enclosure is £18 in advance, £20 on the day, and under-18s go free.

Can you climb the Greenham Common control tower?

Yes, but there is no lift and it is about 60 steps to the observation deck. The café has a screen showing the 360-degree view for anyone who cannot manage the climb.

Sources

Each venue’s own website, checked on 10 August 2026: West Berkshire Museum, Shaw House, Donnington Castle, Greenham Common Control Tower, Nature Discovery Centre, The Watermill Theatre, Corn Exchange Newbury, Newbury Racecourse, The Living Rainforest, Highclere Castle tickets and Newbury Town Council markets. Road closure detail from Newbury Today, 2 August 2026.

Opening times and prices change. Confirm with the venue before travelling. Getting there and parking is on Newbury roadworks and travel.