Is Shinfield a nice place to live near Reading?

A picturesque civil parish in the county of Berkshire, Shinfield is a village just south of Reading in Wokingham Borough. If you’re looking for a rural village to settle down in that’s still well-connected to a major city, Shinfield could be the perfect place for you. In this area guide, we will go through the essentials of the area, including transport links, schools, shops, housing, and things to do. Read on to discover why Shinfield may just be the perfect place for you to find a home.

What are the transport links like in Shinfield?

Shinfield only 15 minutes away from Reading city centre by car, making it an ideal spot for commuters who want to move out into a more rural area. It’s also located just south of the M4, which provides easy access to towns and cities like Swindon, Bristol, and London.

For public transport, Reading Buses offers a regular bus service between Wokingham and Reading that can have you in the town centre in 30 minutes. The nearest airport is Heathrow, which is only 40 minutes away via the M4.

Are there any good schools in the Shinfield area?

For families moving into the area, there are a number of excellent schools in and around Shinfield. For young children there is Shinfield Infant and Nursery School, and Shinfield St Mary’s C of E Junior School, both rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted. For secondary schools, The Holt School and Bohunt Wokingham are rated ‘Outstanding’ and ‘Good, respectively.

In terms of higher education, the nearby city of Reading has a number of excellent options, including Reading College for school leavers, and the University of Reading for undergraduate and post-graduate degrees.

What is Shinfield Studios?

The small village of Shinfield is going to be the home of Shinfield Studios, a new purpose-built film and TV studio. Made up of 18 sound stages, workshops and studio spaces, this will be a hub of UK film and TV production. The new Star Wars TV series from Leslye Headland, The Acolyte, has already completed principal photography at Shinfield, and the studio is expected to be fully finished by 2024.

What is there to do in Shinfield?

While it may be a small village, there is plenty for residents to do in and around Shinfield. There are a number of well-regarded pubs, restaurants and cafes in the area, from The Shinfield Arms, a lovely gastropub on Shinfield Road, to L’Ortan, a high-end restaurant that serves modern French cuisine.

For those wanting to stay active, there are lively cricket and tennis clubs in the village that are always welcoming new members into the community, plus a pilates studio that does referral and sports therapy. There are also several parks and green spaces in the area that make for great dog walking spots like Dinton Pastures Country Park, as well as outdoor spaces like the Aborfield Old Church ruins that are perfect for families to explore.

What is the housing market like in Shinfield?

According to Shinfield, if you’re looking to buy a home in Shinfield:

‘Properties in Shinfield had an overall average price of £467,521 over the last year.

The majority of sales in Shinfield during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £647,523. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £430,942, with flats fetching £220,886.

Overall, sold prices in Shinfield over the last year were 5% up on the previous year and 6% up on the 2018 peak of £440,491.’
 

If you’re interested in moving to Shinfield, check out all the properties listed in the area and contact your local branch for more information.