Getting around

The Silk Mill in Summertown, is just off the A338 which leads to Wantage, less than four miles away. It joins the A420 for Oxford, 13 miles away and is a link to Abingdon, seven miles. Swindon is 21 miles via the A420 and the nearby A34 takes you to junction 13 of the M4. Didcot mainline train station is only eight miles away and has regular, fast services to London Paddington which take about 45 minutes. By train Reading is only 15 minutes and Oxford just 20. Services also run to Bristol, Swindon and Cardiff. There are frequent buses to Wantage,Oxford and Abingdon.

A trip to the shops

It's an easy stroll from The Silk Mill to Dews Meadow Farm Shop, with its award-winning bacon,home-cured ham, baked savouries and delicatessen. The East Hanney Community Shop and sub post-office is also well-stocked and open daily except Sundays and there's a Waitrose and Sainsbury's in Wantage, less than four miles away.

You'll find a variety of quality, independent shops in Wantage offering everything from gifts and art to books, jewellery and well known brands.Oxford's Westgate boasts more than 100 stores and if it's labels you're after try Swindon Designer Outlet, or Bicester Village.

Taking time out

Between them The Hanneys (East and West), have two pubs and two restaurants, an Indian and an Italian, with plenty more in Wantage and Abingdon on Thames. There are clubs for gardening,bell-ringing and amateur dramatics, as well as tennis, bowls, badminton and fitness classes and a youth football club. Wantage Leisure Centre has extensive sports, fitness and swimming facilities and there's a golf club just five miles away. Enjoy live comedy, music, cinema and theatre at The Beacon in Wantage, or catch the latest blockbuster at The Abbey Cinema in Abingdon. Explore the great outdoors on the ancient chalk downs and ridgeway, see the Bronze Age White Horse up close and climb Dragon Hill for spectacular views across six counties.

Education

The charity-run Hanney Pre-School takes youngsters from the age of two to five years and is based within the grounds of St James Church of England Primary School in East Hanney. The school itself takes children aged from four-years-old and acts as a feeder school for King Alfred's Academy in Wantage. This secondary school has sixth form facilities and caters for pupils aged from 11 to 18 years. Abingdon Preparatory School is an independent school for boys aged from four to 13, and Our Lady's Abingdon is a co-educational Catholic school for pupils aged from 3 to 18-years-old.