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Neighbourhood · West Berkshire

Hermitage & Cold Ash: house prices and how the area is changing

Official figures for the Hermitage & Cold Ash neighbourhood of West Berkshire, England (ONS area West Berkshire 007). Headline figures assembled 25 October 2026. Postcodes RG18, RG20, RG8. Figures that read a point use the neighbourhood's centre, near RG18 9UH.

One of the most affluent neighbourhoods in England, showing clear signs of gentrification

Hermitage & Cold Ash is one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in England; it shows clear signs of gentrification against West Berkshire (3 of 16 signals rising, none falling). Houses here typically resell for £635,000 (median resale price, 2023-2025). Recorded crime is lower than across West Berkshire (0.5 times the borough's rate) and the nearest railway station, Thatcham, is 6.5 km from the neighbourhood's centre.

The neighbourhood in brief, from the figures on this page. Summary updated 25 October 2026; source dates are shown below.

Typical house price

£635,000

Median resale price of houses in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; +22% against 2017-2019.

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data

Affluence today

Among the most affluent

How well off the neighbourhood is now, from household income, home prices and deprivation.

Source: ONS, HM Land Registry, MHCLG Indices of Deprivation

Signs of gentrification

Clear signs

Weighted balance +0.24; 3 of 16 signals up, 0 down, against the borough.

Source: Official statistics on prices, incomes, benefits, businesses, schools and more (a full report shows every signal)

Deprivation

Decile 9 of 10

English Indices of Deprivation 2025: 1 is the most deprived tenth of neighbourhoods, 10 the least. At the neighbourhood's centre; its 4 small areas range from decile 6 to 10.

Source: MHCLG English Indices of Deprivation 2025

Average household income

£80,300

ONS estimate for the neighbourhood (modelled, with a margin of error).

Source: Office for National Statistics

Recorded crime

0.5 times the borough's rate

Crimes recorded by the police over 12 months (not anti-social behaviour) per resident, against the borough. Crime per resident can overstate the risk in busy centres where many people work or visit.

Source: Police.uk

Where Hermitage & Cold Ash sits in West Berkshire

  • Typical house price: 3rd highest of 22 neighbourhoods in West Berkshire
  • Average household income: 2nd highest of 22 neighbourhoods in West Berkshire

Ranked among the council's neighbourhoods by the figures on each one's own page, checked 25 October 2026: typical prices are HM Land Registry resale medians over the latest three-year window, household income the ONS's modelled estimate, with a margin of error, so neighbourhoods a place or two apart may not really differ.

Prices over time in Hermitage & Cold Ash

House prices: Hermitage & Cold Ash against West Berkshire: This neighbourhood £107k (1995) to £585k (2026); West Berkshire £75k (1995) to £412k (2026).£150k£587k2026202120162011200620011995This neighbourhood£585kWest Berkshire£412k
Median resale price of houses each year here and across West Berkshire, 1995 to 2026 (HM Land Registry Price Paid Data: standard sales, new builds left out). Years with fewer than 10 sales here are left out. 2026 is the year so far (dashed).

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, held locally and checked 25 October 2026. Medians each year, not a valuation of any home.

How the area is changing, signal by signal

3 of 16 counted signals point towards rising affluence against West Berkshire, 0 the other way and 13 in line. A reading of official statistics against the borough, not a prediction; a full report shows every signal's figures and weight. Where this reading sits among every neighbourhood in England and Wales: the gentrification league table.

Rising against the borough

  • Recorded crime
  • Plug-in car growth
  • Benefit claims (DWP)

Stations and schools nearby

Nearest station

  • Thatcham Railway station, 6.5 km from the neighbourhood's centre in a straight line. About 4.3 trains an hour leave between 07:00 and 19:00 on a weekday: Great Western Railway to Newbury (about 7 min) and London Paddington (42 to 47 min).

Station locations: NaPTAN (Department for Transport). Trains: Network Rail's timetable for Tuesday 6 October 2026, with the timetabled minutes of direct trains; timetabled, not live running. Distances from the neighbourhood's centre in a straight line, walked at 4.8 km/h; the real route is longer.

Nearest state schools

  • Nearest state primary school Hermitage Primary School 1.4 km from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: No overall grade: Outstanding in 1 area, Good in 3 (Mar 2025).

Schools: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (20 October 2026); inspections: Ofsted's management information as at 30 September 2026, in Ofsted's own words. Straight-line distances; not a catchment or admissions assessment.

Questions about Hermitage & Cold Ash

What is the typical house price in Hermitage & Cold Ash?

£635,000. Median resale price of houses in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; +22% against 2017-2019.

How does Hermitage & Cold Ash compare with the rest of West Berkshire?

Typical house price: 3rd highest of 22 neighbourhoods in West Berkshire. Average household income: 2nd highest of 22 neighbourhoods in West Berkshire.

Is Hermitage & Cold Ash an affluent area?

Among the most affluent. How well off the neighbourhood is now, from household income, home prices and deprivation.

Is Hermitage & Cold Ash gentrifying?

Clear signs. Weighted balance +0.24; 3 of 16 signals up, 0 down, against the borough.

What is the nearest station to Hermitage & Cold Ash?

Thatcham. Railway station, 6.5 km from the neighbourhood's centre in a straight line. About 4.3 trains an hour leave between 07:00 and 19:00 on a weekday: Great Western Railway to Newbury (about 7 min) and London Paddington (42 to 47 min).

Which state schools are nearest to Hermitage & Cold Ash?

Nearest state primary school. Hermitage Primary School. 1.4 km from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: No overall grade: Outstanding in 1 area, Good in 3 (Mar 2025).

Each answer repeats a figure shown above, with its source there.

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Nearby neighbourhoods in West Berkshire

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Neighbourhood names: House of Commons Library, MSOA Names, Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains public sector information (MHCLG, Police.uk, Ofsted, Department for Education) licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Station locations from NaPTAN (Department for Transport), Open Government Licence v3.0. Trains: contains information of Network Rail Infrastructure Limited licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures describe the area, not any home, and are not a valuation or a prediction.