Here at Stowhill Estates we were delighted to see a double page spread on our home town of Wantage in yesterday’s Sunday Times.

Described as a ‘White Horse town that will soon be riding high,’ renowned property journalist Fred Redwood described how this often overlooked part of Oxfordshire will soon become a boom town. Why? Well…that’s all down to Wantage’s potential. He says:

‘It’s a cute market town with a population of about 11,000 and a quaint market square that has changed little since the 1950s when Sir John Betjeman lived here. Yet for the time being it is outside what estate agents call the “Oxford glow” – shorthand for the sky high house prices close to the golden university.’

But that is about to change…by 2031 about 23,000 new jobs are planned in the Vale of the White Horse and already 1,123 homes are planned or in construction around Wantage, with outline planning consent for another 5,041. 2500 of these homes are to be built on the old Grove airfield and there is also talk of reopening the railway station.

What about schools?

Wantage CofE and Charlton Primary schools are both judged ‘good’ by Ofsted, and the local academy, King Alfred’s, is rated ‘outstanding.’ St Helens and St Katherines and Abingdon Boys are both reputable independent senior schools.

Get connected

Wantage has its comparative isolation to thank for its reasonable house prices. Oxford is 16 miles away and Didcot 11 miles away, which runs five trains an hour into Paddington with journey times as little as 46 minutes. The A34 and M4 are 12 miles away, and superfast broadband is widely available.

Be seen in

Wildwood Italian restaurant with its 35 seat cinema upstairs, and The Bear Hotel, a local landmark that has been overlooking Market Place for 500 years. There are great pubs in nearby villages including The Greyhound in Letcombe, The Star in Sparsholt and the Eyston Arms in East Hendred.

The Beacon Arts Centre puts on films, live acts and children’s activities such as baby yoga. Lockinge.

Buy in

Go for one of the arterial roads leading to Market Place, where a five-bedroom Victorian terrace will set you back around £500,000. There are several small new developments in Wantage, and the average price of a semi is £338,000 according to Rightmove.

Otherwise, the villages surrounding Wantage are very popular, including the Hendreds, Childrey, Kingston Lisle, the Letcombes (Bassett and Regis) and Blewbury.