I would, if I could afford to, live here in a second. There’s something so refined and quintessentially English about this area. These two villages, separated by the River Thames, meaning one falls under Oxfordshire (Goring) and the other under West Berkshire (Streatley) are just idyllic. Lying in a valley, surrounded by countryside that is deemed “Outstanding Natural Beauty” it’s more than easy to see why the pop singer George Michael chose to live here and why so many lovingly call it home. It’s worth mentioning the two together, because they are so close to one another, that you’ll walk into one and then the other before you know it and are considered by some as a single place. Great Western Railway introduced a rail link to Goring (decided by Streatley residents) back in, meaning that Streatley has remained relatively the same whilst Goring has grown in size quite a bit. So getting here is easy, by train or you can drive in. Traffic can build up, but there are a couple of car parks off of the main high street, each just a few minutes walk to the village centre. The walks from the train or the car park are lovely and scenic.
Streatley was mentioned in the Doomsday book and several historic items have been found there. One is a sarsen stone, which you can see from crossroad at the The Bull pub. Streatley was majority owned by the Morrell Family, a family of brewers from Oxford and it was because of their insistence in keeping the village as it was, that the railway line that came later ended up being in Goring (although of course the station serves both villages). Once the estate was sold things did change but not as much as you might imagine, with Goring being the village that expanded with the addition of the station.
So let me tell you a bit more about my findings!
Walkers
Surrounded by The Berkshire Downs and the Chilterns, you are really spoilt for choice on walks. Also situated on the Thames Path as well as the Ridgeway and Icknield Way and suddenly you have an almost lifetime’s worth of walks ahead of you from Streatley. If you wanted to do a short walk around the village, taking in some of the beautiful houses, you can simply turn off of the high street and wander..inevitably you will end up parallel or back to the high street. I’ve included some really pretty houses and you can see by the different styles, that different eras are represented here. The Thames Path will take you in either direction, either 2 hours towards Pangbourne, another lovely village or 2 hours towards Cholsey. The path is a 9 mile path, with a train station at both Pangbourne and Cholsey. The Thames Path meets the Ridgeway, Britain’s oldest path which is also another amazing walk to complete. Streatley is surrounded by National Trust land and there are some great trails and walks to go on.
Shoppers
Being villages, this won’t be your prime reason for visiting, however there are a few shops to pop in to whilst you are here. The Goring Grocer a local shop which sells pretty much anything you could want to create an artisan meal or pick up a book or gift or snack. You’ve also got Barbara’s antique and bric-a-brac shop which I think are always great to look around. There is a little arcade by the Village Cafe, that has an art shop and a shop named Inspiration, which is a family owned shop selling gifts and toys.
I’d love to pop into:
Nicole Mae’s Bridal Shop – I’m not even getting married, but this place looks so lovely and inviting.
Drinkers
There are a few options which cross over, such as Coppa Club, which I can vouch for and Miller of Mansfield that I would also love to try. On our walk, we also came across The Catherine Wheel which looked like a lovely traditional pub.
Cafe’s / Restaurants
The Coppa Club, situated inside the Swan at Streatley is really reasonably priced and the food is really good- two things that don’t often go hand in hand! Tables are normally snapped up quickly; it’s hard to turn up and just get a table, so book in advance, you won’t regret it. I can especially recommend the brunch!
There’s also the lovely Pierrepont’s Cafe that make lovely coffees. We had a light lunch bite there but their brunch menu looks great. They are also really friendly!
I’d love to eat at:
Miller of Mansfield
Masooms Tandoori
The Village Cafe – everytime I have come here, it’s always really busy, which is a good sign!
Hotels
The Swan at Streatley is a firm favourite of mine (although, I really wish they had aircon in their rooms but just a small point!). The setting is second to none and the rooms are just lovely, modern and comfortable. I’ve been fortunate enough to stay here and even waking up to rain didn’t take away from how lovely this hotel is. The staff, the toiletries, the location…it really is just brilliant.
I’d really love to stay at:
Miller of Mansfield; everytime I pass it, I think about this!
Also, just up the road, a short drive or cab journey away, is the Pike & Perch. We have had a lovely meal in here and the rooms look so cosy.
Sightseeing
For modern day sightseeing, although I am certain from what I have read that the new owners are not as keen on this, George Michael’s former and last home was in a very prominent position in Goring. Right on the river and right on the high street. It really is quite a striking house with little views available from the Thames Path, the high street and the path that leads down to St Mary’s parish church (which is also really nice).
You could take a visit to the golf club, which is over 100 years old and set amongst the most amazing countryside. The Coppa Club also has a really cool outbuilding that is set facing on to the river. I took part in a yoga and brunch session here with friends and they have a few different events on, from classes and outdoor cinema nights, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their page.
Of course, being on the river, how could you not be tempted to take a boat trip down the Thames! Check out Pure Boating for self-drive or skippered boat hire.
If you can, go to the Morrell Room, commissioned by Mr & Mrs Morrell in 1896. It’s a stunning room.
There are of course a wealth of things to explore outside of the villages, such as Basildon Park but I wanted to centre this post on what the villages themselves offer.
I’d love to:
Go to the Goring Gap Festival an event celebrating the arts, that takes place every other year
Would I go back?
Until I own a property here, I will visit again and again! It’s so charming and a really lovely place to hang out for the day, with friends or family. I don’t visit frequently but I always look forward to the opportunity to get there and I really hope if you visit you’ll make a weekend of it and take in those stunning river views in a peaceful location.
Welcome 
Leave a comment