Visit Reading, Berkshire Places

Welcome to Visit Reading, Berkshire Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Reading, Berkshire

  

Reading, Berkshire Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Reading, Berkshire

---

Reading, Berkshire history

---

Early years

The name probably comes from the Readingas, an Anglo-Saxon tribe whose name means Reada’s People in Old English. In 870, an army of Danes invaded the kingdom of Wessex and set up camp at Reading. William the Conqueror gave land in and around Reading to his foundation of Battle Abbey. Battle Abbey was founded in 1121 by Henry I, who is buried within the Abbey grounds. Reading played a significant role during the Revolution of 1688: the second Battle of Reading was the only military action of the campaign.

20th century

The town continued to expand in the 20th century, annexing Caversham across the River Thames in 1911. The Lower Earley development, built in 1977, extended the urban area of Reading as far as the M4 motorway, which acts as the southern boundary of the town.

21st century

Reading is one of the largest urban areas in the UK to be without city status. Three people were killed and three others seriously injured in a mass stabbing at Reading’s Forbury Gardens that is being treated as a terrorist incident.

Reading, Berkshire culture & places

Reading Festival has been running since 1971 and is the largest of its kind in the UK aside from Glastonbury Festival. The Reading Beer Festival was first held in 1994 and has grown to one of the UK’s largest beer festivals. Reading also holds Reading Pride, an annual LGBT festival in Kings Meadow every year.

Cultural references

Jane Austen attended Reading Ladies Boarding School, based in the Abbey Gateway, in 1784–1786. Mary Russell Mitford lived in Reading for a number of years and then spent the rest of her life just outside the town at Three Mile Cross and Swallowfield. Oscar Wilde was imprisoned in Reading Gaol from 1895 to 1897.

Landmarks

Reading has six Grade I listed buildings, 22 Grade II* and 853 Grade II buildings. The Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens is an unofficial symbol of Reading. The Blade, a fourteen-storey building completed in 2009, is 128 m (420 ft) tall.

Media

Reading has a local newspaper, the Reading Chronicle, published on Thursdays. Two local radio stations broadcast from Reading: BBC Radio Berkshire and Heart Thames Valley. The Reading Post ceased publication on paper in December 2014 to transition to an online only format under the title getreading.

Reading, Berkshire geography / climate

Reading is 37 miles (60 km) due west of central London, 24 miles (39 km) southeast of Oxford, 70 miles (110 km) east of Bristol, and 42 miles (68 km) north of the English south coast. The centre of Reading is on a low ridge between the River Thames and River Kennet, close to their confluence, reflecting the town’s history as a river port. Today, as well as the town centre Reading comprises a number of suburbs and other districts, both within the borough itself and within the surrounding urban area.

You can visit Reading, Berkshire places with Walkfo Reading, Berkshire to hear history at Reading, Berkshire’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Reading, Berkshire has 149 places to visit in our interactive Reading, Berkshire map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Reading, Berkshire, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Reading, Berkshire places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Reading, Berkshire & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 149 audio facts unique to Reading, Berkshire places in an interactive Reading, Berkshire map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Reading, Berkshire Places Map
149 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

---

–

Reading, Berkshire historic spots	Reading, Berkshire tourist destinations	Reading, Berkshire plaques	Reading, Berkshire geographic features
Walkfo Reading, Berkshire tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Reading, Berkshire

  

Best Reading, Berkshire places to visit

---

Reading, Berkshire has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Reading, Berkshire’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Reading, Berkshire’s information audio spots:

Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology The Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology contains one of the most important collections of Greek antiquities in the UK. The Museum forms part of the Department of Classics at the University of Reading. The museum is open to the public Tuesday to Friday (closed Fridays out-of-term) and there is no admission charge.

Highwood, Wokingham Highwood is a 15.2-hectare (38-acre) Local Nature Reserve in Woodley, west of Wokingham in Berkshire.

Visit Reading, Berkshire plaques