Knowledge Train Reading,
Davidson House,
Forbury Square,
Reading RG1 3EU,
England,
United Kingdom.
Getting here
7-minute walk from Reading train station.
7-minute walk from Friar Street bus station.
More information about Reading
Training in Reading
The Oracle in Reading
Travel to and from Reading
Part of the Inner Distribution Road
Reading
Reading was an important halt on the ancient Bath Road (A4), which connected London to Avonmouth near Bristol. This road still carries local traffic, but it has been overtaken for long-distance travel by the M4, which runs along the borough’s outskirts and has three intersections, J10-J12. The A33, A327, A329, A4074, and A4155 also serve Reading. Reading is connected by the Inner Distribution Route (IDR), a circular road for local traffic.
Rail
Reading station serves as an important transfer point and terminus for the National Rail system. Reading is serviced by railway lines that link to Paddington and Waterloo stations in London. Reading West, Tilehurst, and Earley are the additional Reading stations.
Reading train station is located on the northern outskirts of town, close to the main shopping and business sectors as well as the River Thames, and is 36 miles from London Paddington. Reading is the ninth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London, as well as the second busiest interchange station outside of London, with over 3.8 million passengers changing trains there each year.
Reading Station
London Heathrow Airport
Air
Reading presently has two airports, one in Coley Park and one in Woodley. By automobile, the nearest airport is London Heathrow, which is about 25 miles away. Heathrow is served by a fast bus service called RailAir, and the airport may also be accessed by train by taking the Paddington train to Hayes & Harlington and changing to the TfL Rail service. Furthermore, direct trains from Reading station service Birmingham Airport, Gatwick Airport, and Southampton Airport.
Public transport
Currently, the majority of local public transit is handled by road, which is regularly influenced by the municipality’s peak hour traffic. Reading Buses, one of the country’s last municipal bus companies, operates a locally run bus network inside the town as well as a less regular network in the surrounding area. Some of the other bus companies that service Reading are Arriva Shires & Essex, Thames Travel, and Oxford Bus Company. ReadiBus is a commuter service for those with restricted mobility.
Readibus
Map showing Reading stations
Things to do in Reading
Landmarks
Reading has a variety of public artworks. The Maiwand Lion, a sculpture and war monument located in Forbury Gardens, a city park in Reading, Berkshire, England, is one of these. This sculpture honours the 328 officers of the Royal Berkshire Regiment who perished in the Battle of the Maiwand in the 1880s.
Jacksons Corner is another well-known feature in this area. The historic old department store in Reading has been turned into a housing complex while keeping its famous look.
Maiwand Lion
Other landmarks in Reading
Reading Abbey Ruins
Abbey Street, Reading RG1 3BA, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 01223 503333Reading Minster of St Mary the Virgin
Chain Street, Reading RG1 2HX, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 0118 957 1057Greyfriars Church, Reading
Friar Street, Reading RG1 1EH, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 0118 951 6700Map showing landmarks in Reading
Libraries and museums
Reading is home to several historical museums and large libraries.
Reading Central Library is a public library located in the heart of Reading on Abbey Square, at the corner of King’s Road, on the site of the historic Reading Abbey stables, where medieval churchmen, aristocrats, and monarchs housed their horses. The Central Library has over 100,000 books, including a children’s library, a large selection of fiction and nonfiction books, and free Internet terminals provided as part of The People’s Network. It also lends CDs, DVDs, and videos for a small fee, and has a large collection of vocal and drama sets on the second floor.
Reading Central Library
The Reading Local Studies Library, located on the third floor, houses extensive collections of books, photos, maps, and newspapers connected to the history of Reading and Berkshire, as well as a family history department.
The Reading Museum originally opened its doors in 1883 at the town hall. It includes rooms dedicated to Reading’s history and the excavations at Calleva Atrebatum, as well as a comprehensive replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, a collection of art, and Huntley and Palmers-related displays.
Other museums in Reading
Riverside Museum
Kenavon Drive, Reading RG1 3DH, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 0118 937 3400Cole Museum of Zoology
Reading RG6 6UA, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 0118 378 7083Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology
Department of Classics, Edith Morley Building, University Of, Whiteknights Road, Reading RG6 6AA, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 01223 333516Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry
Museum, Town Hall, Blagrave Street, Reading RG1 1QH, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 0118 937 3400Map showing museums in Reading
Parks and open spaces
Reading contains around 100 parks and playgrounds, along with a 5-mile riverfront promenade.Prospect Park is Reading’s largest open space, and it gets its name from the breath-taking views of the Kennet Valley and beyond the Mansion House. The grade II listed regency white exterior siding mansion (now a restaurant) is located on a hill at the park’s highest point.
Windsor Park
More parks in Reading
Sol Joel Park
8 Church Road, Earley, Reading RG6 7HT, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 0118 986 8995Balmore Walk
Reading RG4 8PY, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 0800 626540Regus – Reading Green Park
Green Park, 200 Brook Drive, Reading RG2 6UB, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 0800 060 8702Christchurch Meadows
George Street, Caversham, Reading RG4 8BY, England, United Kingdom.Phone: 0118 937 3787Map showing parks and open spaces in Reading
Festivals
Reading hosts several festivals that feature live music, dancing, gastronomy, and a variety of other flavours from the city’s arts, culture, and history community.
Readipop festival