Compton is a village and civil parish in the River Pang valley in the Berkshire Downs about south of Didcot which is buffered from neighbouring settlements by cultivated fields to all sides. The village is in a gently-sloped dry valley and the fledgling Pang seasonally enters from the north west and discharges in the south east and may be joined at the centre of the village by the Roden from the North, when winter bournes rise to fill their channels. Elevations vary from 95 to 155m AOD. Parish church The bell tower of the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary and Saint Nicholas was built in the 13th century and has Perpendicular Gothic features that were added in the 15th century. In 1850 the nave and chancel were modernised or rebuilt and in 1905 the Gothic Revival architect John Oldrid Scott added the north aisle. Transport Former railway In 1882 the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway was completed through the parish and Compton railway station was opened. British Railways withdrew passenger services from the line and closed Compton station in 1962. BR had closed Compton goods yard by 1964. Through freight traffic was withdrawn in 1964 and the line was closed and dismantled during 1967. Bus service From 18 February 2013, Compton is served by Newbury and District bus services 6 and 6A from Newbury. Amenities and economy The academically successful The Downs School local authority secondary school is in Compton. In the 21st century its Science building was built, named The Hubble after American astro-physicist Edwin Hubble. The Primary School, Compton Church of England Primary School is located on School Road. The School emblem is a stag. The Institute for Animal Health was at Compton. Substantial portions of the BBC Television series Trainer were filmed in and around Compton and the next nearest village, East Ilsley. The village is also known as where footballer Theo Walcott grew up as he went to Compton Primary School and The Downs School. Industry Despite Compton being a small village, in 2006 it became the founding place of, what is now, a global chemical manufacturing company called Carbosynth. Since 2019, it has merged with a Swiss company called Biosynth AG to form a key global organisation within the fine chemical industry and now operates under name Biosynth®. Geography Compton has a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) just to the south