The early history of Newbury is unclear. There has been a settlement for 1100 years because of its position as a river crossing and a cross roads of north/south and east/west routes.

The name Newbury was first mentioned in 1079 in the "Ecclesiastical History of England and Normandy". It then had the right to hold a fair and a market. After that it was owned by a series of monarchs or their wives. In the late 15th century cloth manufactured in Newbury was highly regarded on the continent but by the 17th century this trade had virtually ceased.