A Berkshire town 20 miles west of London, joined to the capital by fast trains and the Elizabeth line.

Slough

Slough is a town in Berkshire, about 20 miles west of central London, in the Thames Valley. It is not part of London: it has its own council, Slough Borough Council, and until 1974 it was in Buckinghamshire. What ties it to the capital is the railway. Slough is on the Great Western main line, and the fastest trains reach London Paddington in about 15 minutes; since 2022 the Elizabeth line has also run from Slough straight through central London, reaching Bond Street in about 35 minutes and going on to Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. Heathrow is about five miles away, Windsor two miles south across the Thames, six minutes by the branch line, and the M4, M40 and M25 motorways meet near the town. Slough grew up as a place of work. The Slough Trading Estate, founded in 1920, is the largest industrial estate in Europe in single private ownership, with around 20,000 people at work and one of Europe's biggest clusters of data centres, and Mars, O2 and Lego all have their UK head offices in the town. Malted milk was made at the Horlicks factory near the station for more than a century; its site is now Berkeley's Horlicks Quarter. At the 2021 census the town had about 143,000 residents, almost half of them of Asian heritage.

Town centre (High Street, Queensmere and Observatory shopping centres, the station) · Horlicks Quarter near the station · Upton and Chalvey south of the centre, towards Windsor · Salt Hill and Cippenham to the west, by the Trading Estate · Langley and Colnbrook to the east, towards Heathrow · Wexham and Britwell to the north Berkshire town and business centre · Elizabeth line and Great Western main line · Outside Greater London, near Heathrow and Windsor

Berkshire

County

~15 min

To London Paddington

No restriction

Foreign buyers

CONNECTIVITY

Where Slough sits.

Slough sits on the M4, with junctions 5, 6 and 7 serving the town, and the A4 Bath Road, the old road from London to the west, runs straight through it. The M25 is about five miles east, and the M40 is close by to the north. Heathrow is roughly eight miles by road, and Windsor two miles south over the Thames. For central London most people take the train rather than drive.

Drive times

London Paddington by Great Western Railway~15 min

Bond Street by Elizabeth line, no change~35 min

Liverpool Street by Elizabeth line~43 min

Canary Wharf by Elizabeth line~50 min

Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 by Elizabeth line, one change~30 min

Windsor and Eton Central by branch line~6 min

Reading by train~20 to 25 min

Metro & transport

Elizabeth line; Great Western Railway; Slough to Windsor branch · Elizabeth line and National Rail

Nearest station today: Slough; also Burnham and Langley on the edges of the town

Slough station lies roughly halfway between Paddington and Reading. Fast Great Western Railway trains reach Paddington in about 15 minutes. The Elizabeth line runs four trains an hour off peak from Slough through Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf to Abbey Wood, with no change of train; Bond Street takes about 35 minutes. Westbound the line goes on to Maidenhead and Reading. For Heathrow, change to the airport branch at Hayes and Harlington, about 30 minutes in all. A short branch line runs from Slough to Windsor and Eton Central in six minutes. A direct rail link from the west to Heathrow has been planned for years but is not built.

Major roads

M4 motorway, junctions 5, 6 and 7M4

Bath Road through the town from east to westA4

London orbital motorway, a few miles eastM25

NEIGHBORHOOD LIFE

A full life — without leaving.

Education

Four state grammar schools, among them Herschel Grammar School and Upton Court Grammar School, with places by entrance test
Eton College, about two miles south across the Jubilee River
State primary and secondary schools across the borough
East Berkshire College, and Royal Holloway at Egham and the University of Reading within reach

Healthcare

Wexham Park Hospital, a large NHS hospital north-east of the centre, with an accident and emergency department
GP surgeries, dentists and pharmacies across the town

Shopping

Queensmere and Observatory shopping centres in the town centre
Shops and restaurants on Slough High Street
Windsor's shops and restaurants, one stop away by train

Leisure

The Centre, a leisure centre with an eight-lane 25-metre pool, a large gym and a sports hall
Slough Ice Arena and Langley Leisure Centre
Salt Hill Park, Herschel Park and Upton Court Park
The Jubilee River, a Thames flood channel with a footpath and cycle route along almost its whole length
Windsor Castle and the riverside at Windsor and Eton, two miles south

Landmarks

The Horlicks factory, with its 47-metre chimney and clock tower
Herschel Park, named after the astronomer William Herschel, who lived in Slough and built his great 40-foot telescope here
Upton Court, a Grade II* listed house
The Victorian station building
Slough Trading Estate

THE DATA

The numbers. No fluff.

Slough is a town people choose for the commute and for work. Fast trains to Paddington, the Elizabeth line, Heathrow and the business parks bring professionals here, and homes cost far less than in London: the average price of a Slough home was about £336,000 in mid-2026, and of a flat about £218,000, both slightly lower than a year before. Most new building is apartments near the station and the town centre, led by Berkeley's Horlicks Quarter on the old Horlicks factory site: up to 1,300 homes in 11 buildings on a 12-acre site, with the factory itself converted into apartments. A foreign national can buy in their own name with no permission needed. Apartments are sold leasehold (999 years at Horlicks Quarter), and new leases normally carry a peppercorn ground rent. A buyer who is not UK resident pays Stamp Duty Land Tax with a 2% surcharge, and 5% more if they already own a home anywhere else.

FIGURES INDICATIVE, NOT A GUARANTEE · AS OF 2026-10-20

IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?

Who Slough suits best.

A strong fit if you're…

Commuters to London: about 15 minutes to Paddington on the fastest trains, and the Elizabeth line direct to Bond Street, the City and Canary Wharf
People who fly often or work near Heathrow: the airport is about five miles away, and the Trading Estate alone employs around 20,000 people
Families looking at selective state schools: Slough has four grammar schools, with places by entrance test, and Windsor and Eton are next door
Buyers priced out of London: homes in Slough cost far less than in the capital, with the average flat at about £218,000 in mid-2026

Look elsewhere if you want…

Not a London address: Slough is a working Berkshire town with its own council, a large industrial estate and busy main roads, so visit before you buy
Prices have been flat to falling: the average price in Slough was slightly lower in mid-2026 than a year earlier, so do not count on a quick rise in value

2 PROJECTS IN SLOUGH

What's available right now.

Live from the catalog — sorted cheapest first.

OFF-PLAN

Berkeley Group

Berkeley The Maltings in Slough, Berkshire

1-3 Bedroom Handover Q1 2028

From
1,471,497AED

READY

Berkeley Group

Berkeley Horlicks Factory in Slough, Berkshire

2-3 Bedroom

From
1,814,601AED

GOOD TO KNOW

Common questions about Slough.

Is Slough part of London?+

No. Slough is a town in Berkshire, with its own unitary council, Slough Borough Council, and it lies outside Greater London, although its eastern edge borders the London Borough of Hillingdon. Council tax is paid to Slough, not to a London borough. What links it to London is transport: fast trains to Paddington, the Elizabeth line through the centre of the capital, and Heathrow a few miles away.

How long does it take to get from Slough to central London and Heathrow?+

The fastest Great Western Railway trains reach London Paddington in about 15 minutes. The Elizabeth line runs from Slough without a change to Bond Street in about 35 minutes, Liverpool Street in about 43 and Canary Wharf in about 50. Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 take about 30 minutes by Elizabeth line with one change at Hayes and Harlington, and the airport is roughly eight miles by road. Times are approximate and vary through the day.

Can a foreign national buy property in Slough?+

Yes. There is no legal restriction on foreign nationals buying a home in England in their own name, and no permission is needed. Apartments are sold leasehold; at Horlicks Quarter the leases run for 999 years. Most new leases granted since 30 June 2022 carry a peppercorn ground rent, which in practice means none. Your solicitor will check your identity and where your money comes from before exchange.

Does buying in Slough give me the right to live in the UK?+

No. The UK has no visa or residence route based on buying property. Owning a home gives no right to live in the country; visas come from work, study, family or founding a business. Long stays can make you UK resident for tax, so speak to a tax adviser before planning them.

What taxes does an overseas buyer pay on a home in Slough?+

Stamp Duty Land Tax is due on completion. A buyer who has not spent 183 days in the UK in the year before the purchase pays a 2% non-resident surcharge on top of the standard rates, and a further 5% if they will own another home anywhere in the world. The 2% can be reclaimed later if you spend enough time in the UK. Owners pay council tax to Slough Borough Council and, in an apartment building, a service charge. Rental income and gains on sale are taxed in the UK, and a non-resident must report a sale within 60 days. Ask a UK tax adviser for your own figures.

What is Horlicks Quarter?+

Horlicks Quarter is Berkeley's new neighbourhood on the site of the Horlicks factory, about seven minutes' walk from Slough station. The plan covers up to 1,300 homes in 11 buildings on a 12-acre site, around new gardens and a square. The red-brick factory, with its chimney and clock tower, has been converted into apartments around a full-height glass atrium, with a residents' gym, cinema room, co-working space and a roof garden that looks towards Windsor Castle. The Maltings, a new building next to it, adds more apartments.

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