It’s most often noted for its proximity to slightly bigger towns as well as being within walking distance from London – but Wokingham is a city with plenty to offer visitors and, more importantly, residents. This could be the reason the population has continued to grow over the last 10 years or so as well as going some way to explain the many accolades and titles it has been awarded in recent years.
It seems that happiness exists in abundance in Wokingham. The town has received plenty of recognition in recent years, and is a regular appearance on “best places to live” lists. It was in 2012 that it was ranked as the top choice in the Family Friendly Hotspots Report, which highlights the best areas within England and Wales to bring up children. It’s not a surprise considering the variety of educational options available.
It’s also ranked as the most healthy place in the UK’ by Public Health England, and the top for overall health and well-being in a survey carried out by Halifax. While it’s not on the top of in these tables, it’s typically be in or near within the top 5.
Let’s take a closer look and then look at the factors that make Wokingham such a great area to live in.
The ideal location
As mentioned above its location at the center of England isn’t the only thing that makes it an ideal place to live and work, but it’s definitely an important factor for a lot of home-buyers.
Just 40 miles away from the city of London and just ten miles from Reading the area has been regarded as a paradise for commuters seeking to escape the big-city bustle and astronomical price of property. It’s not just about Reading and London either – residents also can find Basingstoke, Maidenhead, Farnborough and Guildford in close proximity and makes finding a suitable job a lot easier.
The advantages of Wokingham’s location aren’t only about practicality. Despite being in close proximity to several prominent urban areas, the town itself is completely surrounded by nature. Not only are there spacious wooded areas and lush green fields, but residents also have Nature reserves, golf course and other courses to explore at their leisure.
Transport
Having such great surroundings is enough to attract anyone to a specific city or town, however there are many things that will not be within the reach of a stroll. If this wasn’t true, Wokingham probably wouldn’t be the peaceful and charming place it is. This is why the town’s transport infrastructure is so important – with a handy bus system and easy rail and road connections the residents are able to navigate the town’s amenities without any hassle at all.
First, drivers can quickly connect to the M4 motorway by making a quick journey along the A329, which is a road that runs from South Wales right through to London and includes towns and cities like Cardiff, Swansea, Bristol, Swindon and Reading as it goes. The M3 is also accessible via the southbound direction on the same dual carriageway, and offers simple links to Hampshire and, again, London.
Wokingham is also well-served through its own train station. From here, it’s easy to get to all the major cities and towns around and small and less-known villages like Crowthorne. In addition, a daily direct service means that vacationers can get to Gatwick Airport in little more than an hour.
The walk can be completed from one side of Wokingham to the other in around 45 minutes, but buses allow these trips to be significantly more simple. For instance, the First network, for example has a variety of stops within the region that transport passengers to the surrounding towns as well.
There’s no place for boredom
Being busy isn’t a problem in Wokingham as the town has plenty in terms of leisure activities, especially considering the tiny size.
There is a wealth of parks in the region, including Barkham Road Recreation Ground, Langborough Recreation Ground, Elms Field and Waverley Park. Additionally, there are plenty of playing fields and leisure centers, and it’s simple to see why sporting activities are so abundant. Over 20 teams are at Pinewood Leisure Centre alone, for example. Like in numerous cities and towns across the UK and Europe, football is particularly well-known. There are Wokingham & Emmbrook F.C representing in the regional lower leagues.
There’s plenty of enjoyment to have away from sports too. Every August, thousands of people gather from across Berkshire and across the nation to attend Wokingham Music, Food & Drink Festival. Wokingham Music, Food & Drink Festival For instance which is where local artists and food producers meet to display their works. Film gets a chance to shine just a week prior to it, as an open-air cinema is constructed in the town.
Part of the delight of Wokingham is the array of lively villages around the town. These villages offer an experience of the countryside while still being within the popular town. Finchampstead is one such village; situated around 3 miles further south. It has numerous traditional pubs.
It is home to some exceptional primary schools, and the fantastic California Country Park – which offers nature walks as well as a paddling lake and an exciting kids’ adventure playground – Finchampstead boasts plenty of advantages for family life.
Moving forward
Much of Wokingham has seen a redevelopment process over the last couple of years, and the town is not standing still. Due to an investment of 100 million pounds in a revitalization project facilitated by council (under the name of Wokingham Enterprise Limited), the future looks extremely promising too. It’s obvious that as the population grows steadily Wokingham’s local government is continuing to research ways to ensure that the quality of life that residents of Wokingham enjoy is as good as it gets.
Expanding projects are therefore in the process of being completed; residents can look forward to seeing the already-great facilities and amenities increase in the coming years. As this happens, life will not only get easier but the desirability of property in Wokingham will start to increase and it’s an excellent choice for the long and short-term.
For more stories around projects of Wokingham Council visit mywokingham.co.uk