Reading, Berkshire

Reading is a borough in Berkshire, England. It is the largest town in Berkshire, with a population of 203,795 as of 2021. The town is located in the Thames Valley where the rivers Thames and Kennet meet.

Reading is an important commercial center, especially for information technology and insurance. It is also a popular shopping place with centers like the Oracle and the Broad Street Mall. The town is home to the University of Reading and hosts the big Reading Festival each year. Reading has a professional association football team called Reading F.C..

Reading has a long history, dating back to the 8th century. It was an important place in the Middle Ages, with Reading Abbey, one of the largest monasteries in medieval England. The town grew in the 18th and 19th centuries with ironworks, brewing, and the arrival of the Great Western Railway.

Etymology

The earliest known name for Reading is Readingas, from the 8th century. The name likely comes from an Anglo-Saxon tribe called the Readingas, meaning Reada's People in Old English.

People from Reading are called Redingensian. This name is used by the local rugby team Redingensians, based in Sonning, and by former students of Reading School.

History

Main article: History of Reading, Berkshire

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Reading, Berkshire.

Origins

People may have lived in the area of Reading as far back as the time of the Romans, perhaps using it as a place for trading. The first clear proof that Reading was a real town comes from the year 871, when soldiers from Denmark camped there. On January 4, 871, soldiers from England tried to attack the Danish camp but were not successful. This battle is the oldest known written record that shows Reading existed.

After the Normans took over England, King William gave land around Reading to a religious group. By 1121, King Henry I started building Reading Abbey and is buried there. The town grew around a place where people crossed the River Kennet.

Reading became an important town by the 1500s and was known for making cloth. During a big fight between different parts of England in the 1600s, Reading was an important place for one side. By the 1700s, Reading was known for making iron and brewing beer. Better roads helped more people and goods travel through the town.

20th century

Reading kept growing in the 1900s. It added new areas like Caversham and Tilehurst to its town limits. Although many people in England were hurt during the world wars, Reading was not damaged as much. In one air attack in 1943, a plane dropped bombs on the town centre, hurting many people.

New housing areas were built starting in 1977, and a big shopping centre called The Oracle opened in 1999, creating many new jobs.

21st century

Reading is one of the largest places in the United Kingdom without being officially called a city. It tried to become a city four times—but was not chosen.

Governance

Local government in Reading is managed by the Reading Borough Council. Since 1998, this council has been a unitary authority, handling all local government tasks. There are no civil parishes within the borough, but some outer suburbs lie in West Berkshire and Wokingham.

Reading has chosen at least one Member of Parliament since 1295. After the 2024 general election, the borough is split among three areas: Reading Central, Reading West and Mid Berkshire, and Earley and Woodley.

Reading has important courts, including the Crown Court for serious cases and the County Court for other matters. Smaller cases are handled in a local magistrates' court.

Administrative history

Reading has been a borough since at least 1086, as mentioned in the Domesday Book. It was first controlled by Reading Abbey but gained more independence over time, especially after receiving a royal charter in 1253. After the abbey was closed in 1538, the town received another charter in 1542. The borders were set by a charter from Elizabeth I in 1560.

The borough became a municipal borough in 1836 and grew in size several times, including taking in areas like Southcote and Whitley in 1887. In 1911, it expanded further to include parts of Caversham and Tilehurst.

In 1974, local government changed, and Reading became a non-metropolitan district, with Berkshire County Council providing some services. The borough’s borders stayed the same, even though the town grew. In 1998, Reading’s council became a unitary authority again, taking over county-level duties.

Before the 1500s, Reading’s town meetings were held in the Yield Hall near the River Kennet. Later, they moved to a new town hall built inside the Hospitium of St John. This building was used for over 400 years until 1976, when the council moved to the Civic Centre. In 2014, they moved again to offices on Bridge Street.

Geography

Reading is located 42 miles north of England's south coast, 40 miles west of London, and 40 miles east of Swindon. The town sits on a low ridge between the River Thames and the River Kennet, near where they meet. This location helped Reading become an important river port in the past. The area around the rivers sometimes floods.

Reading has many neighborhoods that have grown outward from the center. Some neighborhoods are west of the rivers, like Calcot, Tilehurst, and Purley. Others are to the south and southeast, such as Whitley Wood and Lower Earley. There are also neighborhoods north of the River Thames, including Caversham Heights, Emmer Green, and Caversham Park Village. Most roads connecting these areas are in the central part of Reading.

Climate

Reading, like the rest of the United Kingdom, has a mild climate with temperatures that do not get extremely hot or cold and rain spread throughout the year. The closest weather station is at Reading University's Whiteknights Campus, which has kept weather records since 1970. The hottest day ever recorded there was 37.6 °C (99.7 °F) on July 19, 2022, and the coldest was −14.5 °C (5.9 °F) in January 1982.

Demography

Reading is a big town in England with lots of people. In 2018, about 183,000 people lived in the main part of Reading. The town is busy, with many people living close together.

Reading is also a place where many different kinds of people live. In 2011, most people were from a group called White British. Other groups include South Asian, Black, Mixed, Chinese, and many more. Over 150 different languages are spoken there, showing its rich mix of cultures. There is also a big community from Poland.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Reading, Berkshire

Reading is a busy commercial center in the Thames Valley and Southern England. The town is home to the main offices of several British companies and foreign companies. It is also a big shopping place. Even though it is close to London, many people come to Reading to work instead of leaving. In the mornings, about 30,000 people arrive in Reading, while only 24,000 leave.

Big companies like Microsoft, Oracle, and Hibu have their main offices in Reading. Other important companies such as PepsiCo and Wrigley also have offices here. In 2016, Bayer Life Sciences moved to Reading’s Green Park Business Park. Reading has a long history with technology because of old companies like International Computers Limited and Digital Equipment Corporation. Today, many tech companies such as Huawei Technologies, Pegasystems, and Cisco have offices in or near Reading.

Reading’s town center is a major shopping area. Broad Street is the main shopping road, running between The Oracle and Broad Street Mall. There are smaller shopping places like Friars Walk and three smaller arcades with specialty stores. Union Street, also called Smelly Alley, is an older shopping spot. Though Reading does not have an indoor market, there is a street market in Hosier Street and a farmers' market held twice a month. The old Victorian Corn Exchange now connects to a shopping center.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Reading, Berkshire

Every year Reading hosts the Reading Festival, which began in 1971. This big festival happens during the August long weekend and is one of the largest in the United Kingdom, second only to the Glastonbury Festival. It is held at Little Johns Farm in Richfield Avenue. Reading also used to have the WOMAD Festival until it moved to Charlton Park in Malmesbury, Wiltshire in 2006.

Reading holds the Reading Beer Festival every year before the May Day bank holiday. It started in 1994 and has become one of the biggest beer festivals in the United Kingdom, taking place at King's Meadow for five days. The town also celebrates Reading Pride, an annual celebration for the LGBT community, also held at King's Meadow.

Reading has many places for arts and entertainment. The town hall has a big concert hall with a special organ. There are theatres like The Hexagon and South Street Arts Centre. Amateur theatre groups such as Progress Theatre also perform in Reading.

The town has been featured in books and films. Author Jane Austen went to school in Reading, and writer Mary Russell Mitford lived nearby. Famous writer Oscar Wilde was once imprisoned in Reading Gaol and wrote poems about his time there. Reading was also the setting for some stories and films, including work by Ricky Gervais.

Reading has many interesting landmarks. The Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens remembers soldiers who served their country. There are also many old and important buildings, including Reading Abbey and several churches.

Reading has its own newspapers, like the Reading Chronicle, and several local radio stations. Local television news is provided by That's Thames Valley.

Public services

Reading has many parks and open spaces. There are over 100 parks and playgrounds, with riverside paths stretching for 5 miles (8 km). In the town centre is Forbury Gardens, built on the site of an old abbey. The largest park is Prospect Park, which was bought by the town in 1901.

Reading has important health services, including the Royal Berkshire Hospital, which has been serving the town since 1839. There are also private hospitals and special care centers.

The town gets its water from underground sources, and electricity and gas come from different companies. There is also a small wind turbine and a tiny power station using river water to make electricity.

Reading has many schools, including Reading School, which is one of the oldest in England. There are also colleges and the University of Reading, which has several campuses.

There are several libraries and museums in Reading. The Reading Museum has many interesting exhibits about the town's history. Other museums show farming, airplanes, and even ancient Greek art.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Reading, Berkshire

Reading is an important place for travel because of its location west of London in the Thames Valley. The town grew up near two rivers, the River Thames and the River Kennet, which are both used for leisure boating today.

Reading has been a key spot for roads, with the old Bath Road (A4) passing through. Today, the M4 motorway serves the area with three junctions. Local roads include the Inner Distribution Road (IDR), and there are two park and ride sites for drivers.

Reading is a major railway hub. Reading station connects to London and other places. The station was upgraded in 2015 to help with crowded trains. The Elizabeth line also starts here, linking Reading to London Paddington and other spots.

There are no airports in Reading, but London Heathrow is the nearest international airport, about 20 miles away. Buses and trains make it easy to travel there from Reading.

Local buses run often, and there used to be a bike-sharing program, but it ended in 2019.

Religion

Reading Minster, also called the Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin, is the oldest church in Reading, England. It was founded by the 9th century and is still important today. Nearby, Reading Abbey was started by King Henry I in 1121. Many important people were buried there, and it was a famous place for travelers in medieval times. Today, only some walls and a gateway from the abbey remain.

Reading has many places of worship. Besides Reading Minster, there are several Church of England churches, including St Giles’ Church and St Laurence’s Church. There are also Catholic, Baptist, and Jewish communities. The Jewish community built a synagogue in 1900, which is still standing today. Reading also has mosques, a Buddhist center, a Hindu temple, a Sikh gurdwara, a Quaker meeting house, and a Christadelphian Hall.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Reading, Berkshire

Reading is home to many sports teams and activities. The most famous is Reading Football Club, known as The Royals. The club was formed in 1871 and plays at Madjeski Stadium, which can hold over 24,000 fans. They have played in the top levels of English football and have had exciting seasons in the past.

The town also has teams for other sports. There are rugby clubs, a basketball team called the Reading Rockets, and teams for Australian Rules football and American football. People in Reading enjoy rowing on the River Thames, with several rowing clubs nearby. The town even had a motorcycle speedway team for many years. Every year, a half marathon takes place in Reading, attracting thousands of runners.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Reading, Berkshire

See also: Category:People from Reading, Berkshire

Twin towns

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in England

Reading is twinned with:

• Düsseldorf, Germany (since 1947, officially since 1988)
• Clonmel, Ireland (since 1994)
• San Francisco Libre, Nicaragua (since 1994)
• Speightstown, Barbados (since 2003)

Though not twinned with Reading, two suburbs of the New Zealand city of Dunedin—Caversham and Forbury—were named after places in and around Reading by early New Zealand settler and Reading native William Henry Valpy.