vividventures

Getting there:

Reading lies on the River Thames in the county of Berkshire, south east England and is easily accessible by car as it is just two miles from Junction 11 of the M4 motorway.  For visitors arriving by train GWR operate regular services between London and the west with Reading being the first stop on fast services with a journey time of just 22 minutes.  Southwestern Railway and Cross Country also run services to Reading from the South and Midlands.  Visitors can also reach Reading from central London on the Elizabeth Line and despite it taking a little longer than by GWR, it’s a great way to travel for Freedom Pass holders as they are able to go all the way to Reading free of charge.

Things to see and do in Reading

With Reading’s history spanning centuries, the town is filled with interesting sights, museums and attractions, many of them free.  Here are my suggestions.

Abbey Ruins

Start off at the Abbey Quarter by exploring the Reading Abbey Ruins which is home to 900 years of history.  The abbey was at one time one of Europe’s largest royal monasteries with a religious community centred around a magnificent church.

Forbury Gardens

Located next to the Abbey Ruins lies the Victorian pleasure gardens.  These gardens are also home to Reading’s larger than life Maiwand Lion, sculpted by George Simonds as a memorial to the men of the Berkshire Regiment killed in Afghanistan in the nineteenth century.  This oasis of calm in the city centre is perfect for a short stroll and on summer weekends you might catch some live music being played in the bandstand.

Oscar Wilde Memorial Walk

Oscar Wilde was a prisoner for two years in Reading Gaol and a short walk has been created in his honour between the long prison wall and the River Kennet.  The walk begins with a figure of Wilde on one half of the open green gates.  Etched along the metal railings are the words ‘Oh beautiful world’, Wilde’s first words when he was freed.  Notice also the bright red Oscar Wilde love seats and a bench constructed to be the size of his prison bed.

Banksy artwork

This Banksy mural entitled ‘Create Escape’ appeared on the wall of the former Reading prison in March 2021 depicting an inmate dressed in a striped black and white outfit.  He’s lowering himself down the high red brick wall using a long sheet of twisted paper weighted by a typewriter.

Reading Museum

Located in the Victorian Town Hall,  Reading Museum documents the history of the town with its Story of Reading gallery showcasing objects from the local area.  Taking pride of place upstairs is the only full-size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry.  This faithful replica is 70 metres long and was made by 35 skilled Victorian women embroiderers in 1885.  Depicted are the scenes leading up to and including the Battle of Hastings in 1066.  The gallery also explores the impact of the Norman conquest by William I and about his youngest son King Harry founding Reading Abbey in 1121.

Also of interest is the Huntley & Palmers biscuit gallery documenting the history of Reading’s world famous biscuit makers.  The exhibition details how the company pioneered the mass production of biscuits, what life was like for its thousands of workers and how Reading came to be known as the ‘Biscuit Town’.

There are almost 300 decorative biscuit tins on display in all shapes and sizes, some in the shape of teapots and others commemorating Royal Jubilees.  I adored inspecting all these tins as my grandmother used to receive them as Christmas gifts and after eating all the biscuits would use them to store her handkerchiefs and other bits and pieces.  A splendid museum to visit and it’s free of charge too. Reading Museum

Museum of English Rural Life (MERL)

This excellent free to visit museum is part of the University of Reading, and is either a short bus ride or a 15 minute walk from the town centre.

Its galleries explore the history of the English countryside and include Shaping the Land, A Year on the Farm, Digging-Deeper, Ploughs and a Wagon Walk which contains a huge display of large wheeled wagons.  There’s also a garden with woodland trails to follow, a cafe and gift shop.  Museum of English Rural Life

Enjoy a relaxing river cruise

Take a pleasure boat trip from Caversham Pier along this scenic stretch of the Thames.  The most popular trip follows the river upstream to Mapledurham lock where the boat turns, offering panoramic views of the weir.

The boat then cruises back downstream past Mapledurham House towards Reading.  View beautiful riverside properties and spot wildfowl from the perspective of the water.  Thames River Cruise

Thames Lido:

Don’t leave Reading without spending a couple of hours at the Thames Lido.  Situated by the Thames, built as a women’s only swimming baths in Edwardian times.  After falling into disrepair and closing its doors for good in the 1970’s the team behind the award winning Bristol Lido spent £3.5m on renovations prior to its reopening in 2017.

Many of the original Edwardian and contemporary features have been preserved and the resulting mix of Edwardian and contemporary looks stunning.  There’s a 25 metre heated open-air lap pool, a huge hot tub, treatment rooms, sauna, spa and a fabulous glass fronted restaurant along the length of the pool.  With quirky changing rooms, showers with old fashioned pull handles and Lido Spa luxurious toiletries, it’s absolutely blissful.

Swim and Dine packages offer excellent value at £50 for lunch or dinner and our tapas selection was superb which we enjoyed by the poolside.  If you don’t feel like a swim you can still pop in for a drink and a bite to eat as I’m sure you’d be wowed by the surroundings too.  Thames Lido

Cycling and Walking 

Thames Path: Enjoy a riverside walk or cycle ride along the banks of the River Thames which flows just north of the centre.  Follow the Thames Path eastwards towards Sonning, through to Henley and Marlow or in a westerly direction towards Mapledurham and Pangbourne.

Kennet and Avon Canal: The Kennet and Avon Canal runs from Bristol to Reading where it joins the River Thames.  Take a leisurely stroll along the canal towpath and pause to watch brightly coloured narrowboats pass.  Enjoy the tranquil surroundings and look out for wildlife such as ducks, swans, geese, kingfishers and cormorants.

Shopping:

Fancy some retail therapy, then head to the Oracle – a vast retail, dining and leisure complex in the town centre.  The centre is unique as it has been designed to incorporate the River Kennet flowing through it.

Alongside a large number of high street stores including a branch of John Lewis you’ll also find numerous independent boutiques.  Overlooking the river are lots of restaurants and cafes nearly all with outside dining terraces making the most of the beautiful setting.

Stay:

Reading has a wide range of accommodation to suit every budget but if you would like your stay to be a visit to remember I’d suggest splashing out on a stay at the luxurious five star Roseate Reading which is located in a quiet enclave overlooking the town’s Forbury Gardens and just steps away from the main attractions.

The hotel has 23 rooms and suites in the main hotel with a further 32 in the recently built ‘house’ across the courtyard.  This building also houses the hotel’s luxurious spa and gym facilities.  We stayed in a Roseate Prime Suite which oozed country house charm with its four poster bed, deep padded sofa and armchair, original cast iron fireplace and spacious bathroom with deep set bath and separate monsoon shower.

The Roseate is an absolutely gorgeous place to stay and dining in the Reading Room a delightful gastronomic experience with seasonal menus prepared by their award winning chefs using fresh, local produce.  For a five star hotel prices are very competitive so I suggest taking a look at their website to find out more.  Roseate Reading

Eat and Drink:

Along with booking a table at the Thames Lido I’d also suggest calling into The Grumpy Goat.  This independent artisan food shop and cafe is a foodies paradise stocking around 50 varieties of cheese from the U.K. and overseas and a wide selection of beers.

Pop upstairs for a drink and a bite to eat in their small cafe.  Their grilled cheese sandwiches are legendary.  We opted for ‘The Blue’ – filled with Stilton, walnuts, apple and honey and ‘The Reuben’ with alpine cheese, salt beef, sauerkraut and mustard.  Great value at £8.50.  The Grumpy Goat.

I hope this travel guide has inspired you to visit Reading as it’s such a lovely town.

If you have enjoyed this post you may also like:

Reading – A Walk along the Thames

Newbury Canal Walk – Speen Moors

During our stay we were guests of Visit Reading and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.