An area's health and fitness credentials play a surprisingly large role in influencing people's decision to live there. After all, people have long been known to buy into lifestyles and ideals – not products or items. If a person viewing a property can see themselves going for a run in the local area or taking a stroll to some nearby forests, they're likely to be half sold already.
Thankfully, Crowthorne has an abundance of ways to keep fit, all just a short hop away.
Open spaces
One aspect of Crowthorne that provides a huge attraction year after year is its vast array of rural open spaces. Within just over a couple of kilometres of the village centre lies Simon's Wood, Fisher's Copse, Edgbarrow Woods, Pine Wood, Bramshill Forest and Gorrick Woods. On top of this you have the Forestry Commission-run Chaucer Wood almost right in the village centre. It's these which may well have contributed to East Berkshire being named within the top 21 per cent for life expectancy in the whole of Britain by the Office for National Statistics.
All this comes on top of the tree-lined playing fields dotted around Crowthorne which have proven popular with children and adults alike for generations. It really is the case that you're never more than a few minutes from open space in Crowthorne.
Mountain biking
The aforementioned woods aren't only ideal for cross country runners or those looking to get away into the fresh air, of course. Anyone with more white-knuckle sports in mind will find plenty of routes that are ideal for mountain biking. Crowthorne Wood offers some great trails on the village border, but for those who want something a little more intense, a short trip east to Bracknell Forest might be the order of the day.
For all the quiet serenity of Crowthorne, Bracknell's mountain bike trails offer something entirely different, with bumpy, often muddy routes allowing riders to really get stuck in.
Dinton Pastures
Whilst there's plenty to do for health and fitness around Crowthorne, those wanting a little variety may wish to take the ten-mile journey up to Dinton Pastures Country Park. The 335-acre country park comprises seven lakes, two rivers and some lush, open meadows.
Several hundred thousand visitors descend on Dinton Pastures every year to run, ride or take a more leisurely stroll through the old farmland.
It's not all about exercise at Dinton Pastures, though, as there's plenty of wildlife to spot in the area as well. For would-be ornithologists there are three public bird hides (including one that's wheelchair accessible) from which it's possible to see the area's waterfowl. Depending on the visit, it could be possible to see coots, gulls, mallards and swans, alongside some of the less common goldeneye, pochard and wigeon.
For those considering Crowthorne's lifestyle options, then, there certainly is an embarrassment of riches where health and fitness are concerned.