Reading is situated in an ideal location 41 miles (66 km) west of central London on the M4 corridor within easy access of both the M40 and M3. It is also just a 25 minutes by car to Heathrow Airport and it is served by the Great Western Main Line railway. It is positioned on the river Thames just as it meets the River Kennet reflecting the history of the town as an important river port. Reading has a population of over 235,000 and it is twinned with Düsseldorf in Germany, Clonmel in Ireland, San Francisco Libre in Nicaragua and Speightstown in Barbados.

It is home to two universities and has a large student population. It is also host to the Reading Festival which is one of the biggest music festivals in the UK.

Reading today is an important commercial centre with many multi-national companies being based here. It also has an exciting, varied nightlife with something for everyone from cinema and theatre through to restaurants, lively bars, nightclubs and casinos.In 1999 the local shopping centre, The Oracle, was built on the site of a 17th century workhouse of the same name which was founded by John Kendrick. It occupies three storeys and boosted the local economy by providing over 4,000 jobs in over 90 retail units.

During the 20th century Reading continued to expand and in 1911 Caversham, originally in Oxfordshire, became a suburb of Reading. Further housing developments have extended the urban area of Reading  to the M4 motorway, which now acts as its southern boundary.

Reading is also home to the infamous Reading Gaol made famous by Oscar Wilde. Reading prison is a young offender Institution and remand centre, for males aged 18 to 21.

READING MUSEUM

Reading Museum is the perfect place to discover the history of the town. It has many and varied exhibits charting the history of Reading from the first settlers up until the modern day. It also houses an impressive array of finds from the nearby Roman town of Silchester and a full sized replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, which is 70 metres long and was made in 1885 by 35 skilled women from the Leek Embroidery Society. It was bought for the town in 1895 by Arthur Hill, a former Mayor of Reading.

TRANSPORT

BUSES

Tel: 0118 959 4000 - Mondays to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm (excluding public holidays)
Head Office - Great Knollys Street, Reading RG1 7HH

Reading Borough Council has been running buses in the area for over 100 years.
Reading Bus Station is currently in Station Road during the refurbishment of Reading Station. It offers frequent services to all parts of the town. For bus timetables visit: www.reading-buses.co.uk

TRAINS

Station Approach, Reading, RG1 1LZ
0845 700 0125

Reading is on the Great Western Main Line, which runs west from London Paddington before splitting to the west of Reading into two lines, one serving Westbury, Taunton, Exeter and Plymouth and the other serving Bristol, Bath, Newport and Cardiff.

Other main lines connect Reading with Birmingham, northern England and Scotland, as well as Winchester, Southampton and Bournemouth to the south.

The station currently has four through-platforms and eight terminal platforms as well as
waiting rooms, trolleys, refreshments an ATM machine, toilets, payphone, Wi-Fi, post box and shops.

PUBLIC CAR PARKS

    Broad Street Mall
    The Oracle
    Queens road
    Reading Station
    Garrard Street
    Cattle Market
    Kings meadow
    Hills Meadow
    Civic Buildings
    Chatham Place
    The Forbury
    For Blue Badge Parking Spaces go to www.reading-travelinfo.co.uk /travelinformation/travellingbycar-parking/carparkinformation/index?ID=SXD800-A77F6487

LIBRARIES

Central Library
Abbey Square
RG1 3BQ
Tel: 01189 015950

Battle Library
420 Oxford Road
RG30 1EE
Tel: 01189 015100

Palmer Park Library
St. Bartholomew’s Road
RG1 3QB
Tel: 01189 015106

Mobile Library Services
Tel: 01189 015118

Southcote Library
Southcote Lane
RG30 3BA
Tel: 01189 015109

MUSEUMS

Reading Museum
The Town Hall
Blagrave Street
Reading
RG1 1QH
Tel: 0118 937 3400

Museum of English Rural Life
University of Reading
Redlands Road
Reading
RG1 5EX
Tel: 0118 378 8660

Riverside Museum at Blakes Lock
Gas Works Road (off Kenavon Drive)
Reading
RG1 3DS
Tel: 0118 939 9800

Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology
Department of Classics
University of Reading
Whiteknights
Reading
RG6 6AA
Tel: 0118 378 6661

POST OFFICES

Reading Borough Council
Civic Centre
RG1 7UE

Crown Colonnade
London Road
RG1 5BA

234 Northumberland Avenue
RG2 7QA

21 - 22 Market Place
RG1 2DQ

252 Shinfield Road
RG2 8EY

17 Whitley Street
RG2 0EG

168 Whitley Wood Road
RG2 8LQ

POLICE STATION

Tel: 0845 850 5505
Castle Street
Reading
RG1 7TH

9 Hollow Lane
Shinfield
RG2 9EG

Rushey Way
Lower Earley
RG6 4PS

LOCAL COUNCIL OFFICES

Reading Borough Council
Civic Centre
Reading
RG1 7AE
Tel: 01189 373737
www.reading.gov.uk

West Berkshire Council
Market Street
Newbury
RG14 5LD
Tel: 01635 42400
Email: info@westberks.gov.uk
www.westberks.gov.uk

South Oxfordshire District Council
Benson Lane
Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford
OX10 8ED
Tel: 01491 823000
Email: info@southoxon.gov.uk
www.southoxon.gov.uk

Wokingham Borough Council
Civic Offices
Shute End
Wokingham
RG40 1BN
Tel: 01189 746000
Email: wokinghamdirect@wokingham.gov.uk
www.wokingham.gov.uk

Reading Register Office
Yeomanry House
131 Castle Hill
Reading
RG1 7TA
Tel: 0118 937 5120

    Registering: births, and deaths.
    Conducting: Marriages ceremonies, Civil Partnerships and Nationality ceremonies (Citizenship).
    Copies of original certificates.
    Nationality Checking Service.