Hungerford Newtown is a small hamlet about two miles north of Eddington.

In early medieval times this was the manor of Hidden. Margaret Gelling (The Place-names of Berkshire, page 304) states that the name is derived from "valley with a landing place", and refers to a landing-place on the river Kennet, and the long valley that stretches from the Berkshire-Wiltshire boundary 4 miles north-west of Hungerford to the Kennet at Kintbury. It now includes names such as Wiltshire Bottom, Old Hayward Bottom, New Hayward Bottom and Radley Bottom. The names of the local farms - Great Hidden farm, Little Hidden farm, North Hidden farm reflect the early name. The ancestors of Norman Hidden, who did so much research into the medieval history of Hungerford, came from the Manor of Hidden.

The origins of the name "Newtown" (as opposed to "Hidden") are unclear. Some have proposed that it stems from the expansion of the manor as a centre of population outside the main town of Hungerford when it was affected by the plague, maybe in 1348-50 outbreak of the "Black Death", or at some later outbreak. There are many other "Newtowns" in the area - including Newbury Newtown, Shalbourne Newtown and Newtown Road Ramsbury. There is no evidence to support this proposal.

The earliest printed record of Newtown appears to be on Robert Morden's map of Berkshire, 1722 edition, where it is shown as a sizeable village along the road from Hungerford towards Wantage. It regularly appears on maps after this date.

The Probate Inventory of Charles Hammond "late of Newtown in the parish of Hungerford", 12th May 1736. [This is a very large Inventory. He may have been the owner of Newtown Lodge, now Lovelocks, but this is yet to be confirmed.]

By the 19th century, Newtown was a sizeable village with its own pub (the Oxford Arms, later the Tally Ho!), its own school and church, and its own post-office.

The 1841 census records 54 households, with 70 children aged 5-12 years and 22 babies under 5.

The NWN on 4 Sep 1879 reported "A young woman carrying a baby in her arms was forcibly removed screaming from Newbury County Magistrates Court on Thursday to serve a sentence of two months imprisonment for stealing a pound of butter from Hungerford Newtown shop".

Robert Morden's Map of Berkshire, 1722 edition, showing Newtown

Part of 1768 John Willis map
showing Hungerford and Newtown

Part of 1770/71 John Rocque map
showing Newtown

Part of 1792 Robertson map
showing Newtown

From 1880 6" OS Map