Farnborough is a small village high in the Berkshire Downs on a former pack-horse route, now a minor road, between Hungerford and Oxford in the rural area south of Wantage between the A34 and the A338. It is about 1.5 miles south of the ancient Ridgeway national trail which runs along the top of the Downs from Wiltshire to Streatley.

The parish church is dedicated to All Saints and dates from the 12th century apart from the 15th-century tower. A stained glass window in the church in memory of Sir John Betjeman,the poet, was installed after his death. Near the church are some earthworks which could have been lost village houses and also a lost pond.

Sir John Betjeman lived in The Old Rectory, an lovely 18th century country house which was chosen by experts at Country Life magazine for its "quite exceptional" architecture, beautifully-kept gardens and spectacular views over the Berkshire Downs. The Old Rectory's 4 acre garden is divided into rooms and there are herbaceous borders, woodland and a pool. The garden is open to the public under the National Garden scheme.

On the edge of the village at Mnor Farm there is a stud farm offering, amongst other things, convalescent, rehabilitation and retirement facilities for horses.

Farnborough is 3 miles SSE of Wantage.