Living in Ascot

Living in Ascot

Ascot occupies a distinctive corner of Berkshire where royal heritage, open countryside and easy access to London combine in a way that few places in the Home Counties can match. The town has a relaxed, unhurried character — wide tree-lined roads, generous plots and a strong sense of community — yet it never feels remote. The centrepiece of the social calendar is Royal Ascot, the world-famous five-day race meeting held each June at the historic racecourse, which lends the area an air of occasion and international prestige. For the rest of the year, life here is quieter and greener: Windsor Great Park's 4,800 acres of managed parkland lie on the doorstep, and Swinley Forest offers miles of waymarked woodland paths ideal for walking, cycling and trail running. A scattering of golf courses rounds out the outdoor offer for those who favour fairways over footpaths. New-build buyers tend to find Ascot appealing precisely because it balances genuine countryside tranquillity with the kind of connectivity that makes a London career perfectly compatible with a rural-feeling home.

Schools and education

Families moving to Ascot are well served at every stage of education. The most prominent secondary option is Charters School, a state academy that consistently holds an Outstanding rating from Ofsted and is widely regarded as one of the strongest comprehensives in Berkshire. For those considering independent education, LVS Ascot (formerly the Licensed Victuallers' School) is a co-educational day and boarding school on the edge of town catering for ages three to eighteen. St George's School, Windsor Castle, offers an independent prep education with a choral tradition linked to St George's Chapel. Beyond Ascot itself, the broader area — including Bracknell, Windsor and Maidenhead — provides further primary and secondary choices, and the grammar school tradition remains active in parts of neighbouring Buckinghamshire for families willing to consider the selective route.

Transport and connectivity

Ascot station sits on the Waterloo–Reading line, placing London Waterloo roughly 47 minutes away on a direct service — a commute many buyers consider genuinely manageable. Trains also run westward into Reading, opening up connections to the Elizabeth line and the wider Great Western network. By road, the M3 and M4 motorways are both within easy reach, making journeys to central London, the South Coast and the West Country straightforward. Heathrow Airport is approximately 12 miles away, a distance that translates to a short drive or taxi ride — a meaningful advantage for frequent flyers or internationally mobile professionals.