Reading town, Berkshire

Details

Accessibility

2025: "ReadiBus provides an on-demand transport service for people with restricted mobility in the area.[204]"

Brief description

"Reading is a historic market town in Berkshire, England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet. It's approximately 40 miles west of London, making it a popular spot for commuters. Known for its rich history, vibrant economy, and cultural events like the Reading Festival, the town blends urban energy with green spaces."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading,_Berkshire

2025: "Reading (/ˈrɛdɪŋ/ ⓘ RED-ing)[2] is a town and borough in Berkshire, England, and the county town of Berkshire. It is the United Kingdom's largest town, with a combined population of 355,596.[citation needed] Most of its built-up area lies within the Borough of Reading, although some outer suburbs are parts of neighbouring local authority areas. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers Thames and Kennet.

Reading is a major commercial centre, especially for information technology and insurance.[3] It is also a regional retail centre, serving a large area of the Thames Valley with its shopping centres, including the Oracle, the Broad Street Mall, and the pedestrianised area around Broad Street. It is home to the University of Reading. Every year it hosts the Reading Festival, one of England's biggest music festivals. Reading has a professional association football team, Reading F.C., and participates in many other sports.

Reading dates from the 8th century. It was a trading and ecclesiastical centre in the Middle Ages, the site of Reading Abbey, one of the largest and richest monasteries of medieval England with royal connections, of which the 12th-century abbey gateway and significant ancient ruins remain. By 1525, Reading was the largest town in Berkshire, and tenth in England for taxable wealth. The town was seriously affected by the English Civil War, with a major siege and loss of trade, but played a pivotal role in the Glorious Revolution, whose only significant military action was fought on its streets. The 18th century saw the beginning of a major ironworks in the town and the growth of the brewing trade for which Reading was to become famous. The 19th century saw the coming of the Great Western Railway and the development of the town's brewing, baking and seed-growing businesses, and the town grew rapidly as a manufacturing centre. 

Reading is a commercial centre in the Thames Valley and Southern England. The town hosts the headquarters of several British companies and the United Kingdom offices of foreign multinationals, as well as being a major retail centre.[93] Whilst located close enough to London to be sometimes regarded as part of the London commuter belt, Reading is a net inward destination for commuters. During the morning peak period, there are some 30,000 inward arrivals in the town, compared to 24,000 departures.[94] Major companies Microsoft, Oracle[95] and Hibu (formerly Yell Group)[96] have their headquarters in the Reading area. The insurance company Prudential has an administration centre in the town.[97] PepsiCo[98] and Wrigley[98] have offices.

Global pharmaceutical giant Bayer Life Sciences relocated to Reading's Green Park Business Park in 2016.[99] Reading has a significant historical involvement in the information technology industry, largely as a result of the early presence in the town of sites of International Computers Limited[100] and Digital Equipment Corporation.[101] Other technology companies with a significant presence in the town include Huawei Technologies, Pegasystems, Access IS, CGI Inc., Agilent Technologies,[102] Cisco,[103] Ericsson,[104] Symantec,[103] Verizon Business,[105] and Commvault.[106] These companies are distributed around Reading or just outside the borough boundary, some in business parks including Thames Valley Park in nearby Earley, Green Park Business Park and Arlington Business Park.

Reading town centre is a major shopping centre. In 2007, an independent poll placed Reading 16th in a league table of best performing retail centres in the United Kingdom.[107][108] The main shopping street is Broad Street, which runs between The Oracle in the east and Broad Street Mall in the west and was pedestrianised in 1995.[109] The smaller Friars Walk in Friar Street is closed and will be demolished if the proposed Station Hill redevelopment project goes ahead.[110] There are three major department stores in Reading: John Lewis & Partners (known as Heelas until 2001),[111] Debenhams (now closed down), and House of Fraser.[112] The Broad Street branch of bookseller Waterstone's is a conversion of a nonconformist chapel dating from 1707.[113] Besides the two major shopping malls, Reading has three smaller shopping arcades, the Bristol and West Arcade, Harris Arcade and The Walk, which contain smaller specialist stores. An older form of retail facility is represented by Union Street, popularly known as Smelly Alley.[114][115] Reading has no indoor market, but there is a street market in Hosier Street.[116] A farmers' market operates on two Saturdays a month.[117] The old Victorian Corn Exchange now provides an alternative access to a shopping centre.[118]

The medieval borough of Reading was served by three parish churches: Reading Minster, St Giles' Church, and St Laurence's Church. All are still in use by the Church of England.[212] The Franciscan friars built a friary in the town in 1311. After the friars were expelled in 1538, the building was used as a hospital, a poorhouse, and a jail, before being restored as the Church of England parish church of Greyfriars Church in 1863.[213][214] The Bishop of Reading is a suffragan bishop within the Church of England's Diocese of Oxford. The bishop is based in Reading, and is responsible for the archdeaconry of Berkshire. There are a total of 18 Church of England parish churches in Reading.[215][216]"

Address

Postal district: RG

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_Borough_Council

"Reading Borough Council is the local authority for Reading in the county of Berkshire, England. Reading has had a council since at least 1542, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1998, the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2012. It is based at the Civic Offices on Bridge Street in the town centre. 

https://www.reading.gov.uk/"

Email

https://www.reading.gov.uk/contact-us/

Phone

Dialling code:  0118

Website

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading,_Berkshire

Directions

Opening Times

Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change

Transport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading,_Berkshire#Public_transport

2025: "Reading is a major junction point of the National Rail system, and hence Reading station is a transfer point and terminus. In a project that finished in 2015, Reading station was redeveloped at a cost of £850m, with grade separation of some conflicting traffic flows, and extra platforms, to relieve severe congestion at this station.[196][197] Railway lines link Reading to both Paddington and Waterloo stations in London. Other stations in the Reading area are Reading West, Reading Green Park, Tilehurst and Earley.

Reading is a western terminus of the Elizabeth line, which provides stopping services to London Paddington, and means Reading is featured on the London Tube map. Cross-London connections are possible from Reading to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east.[198]

Today local public transport is largely by road, which is often affected by peak hour congestion in the borough. A frequent local bus network within the borough, and a less frequent network in the surrounding area, are provided by Reading Buses - one of the few remaining municipal bus companies in the country - and its subsidiaries Newbury & District and Thames Valley Buses. Other bus operators serving Reading include Carousel Buses, Thames Travel and RedRose.[203] ReadiBus provides an on-demand transport service for people with restricted mobility in the area.[204]"

Amenities

Football club

Leisure centres

Museums

Theatre and art centre

Reading festival

GP/Dental practices

Hospital

University

Primary/Secondary schools

Shopping centre

Train station