Thames Parks

Reading is almost unique amongst large Thamesside towns. It has a ribbon of green space almost entirely free of development, to most of which the public has free access. The Thames parks are crucial to the landscape of Reading. The riverside is one of the town’s most significant natural features providing it with a unique sense of identity.

Reading developed in the Thames flood plain along the banks of the Kennet River and Holy Brook. Originally, the Thames flowed (from west to east) to the north of the town centre, and, since it was navigable as far as Reading, formed a transport route from London to the interior, with the mode of transport changing at Reading. Subsequent expansion means that the river is now an integral part of the fabric of the town. As the Thames has a wide flood plain, the low lying land associated with it has developed into a series of parks and towpaths that form, within Reading Borough, a green riverside ribbon from Kennetmouth in the east to the Roebuck public house in the west.

The string of parks consists of:

Northern bank from west to east

1. Caversham Court Gardens
2. Christchurch Meadow
3. Hills Meadow

Southern bank from east to west

1. King’s Meadow and The Coal woodland
2. Thames Promenade and Rivermead
3. Part of Scours Lane

Islands

1. View Island
2. Bucks Eyot

There are public rights of way along the southern bank towpath from Kennetmouth to the Borough boundary at the Roebuck and on the north bank from Mill Lane to Caversham Bridge. These link the parks on both sides of the river. The towpath is part of the 180-mile Thames Path from Lechlade to London, and the Sustrans National Cycle Network.

The provision of space for varied recreational activities is the primary opportunity created by the parks. The Thames Parks provide the largest single area of publicly accessible open space in Reading: approximately 80 ha. The variety of spaces includes formal gardens, allotments and lawns at Caversham Court; woodland at The Coal; close-mown grass fields and a range of recreational and sporting areas at Hills Meadow, Kings Meadow, Christchurch Meadow and Scours Lane; a waterway; footpaths and cycle ways; and intermittently managed, semi-wild vegetation at View Island and Scours Lane. Parks also contribute to green travel initiatives. A significant number of people travel through the Thames Parks, either on foot or by bike, to work or to town.

Thames Parks Plan

A plan has been prepared by the Council to protect the riverside parks from inappropriate development and to provide for the careful management of this exceptional asset.

The Thames Parks Plan aims to link physically the eight Thames parks in Reading into a single unit with an enhanced identity: a chain of quality green space with high amenity and landscape value. At the same time, it aims to respect the distinctive character of each of the parks, so that one’s experience of the river changes with movement along it. Implementation of the Plan will contribute to the delivery of the Council’s strategic aims for the town, to meeting the leisure needs of residents of Reading, and to creating an attraction of regional importance.

The specific objectives of the Plan are:

• To promote the Thames parks as a unique local feature, and to create a clear Thames parks identity
• To seek ways of making more open space for recreation available to the community
• To rationalise leisure activities along the river
• To identify opportunities to bring more attractions into the Thames Parks; for example, events, opportunities to eat and drink, water-based activities, art
• To identify development opportunities that will bring both capital and revenue resources into the parks whilst enhancing the value of the parks themselves
• To improve the quality of the landscape, the standards of maintenance, and the attention to detail in the parks themselves
• To ensure that the biodiversity of the parks is enhanced
• To improve the sustainability of the management of the parks
• To generate community involvement in decision making about the management of the Thames parks
• To use the Thames parks to meet the objectives specified in City 2020, the Cultural Strategy and the Community Strategy

Not all of these objectives can be addressed at the same time. Given that resources are limited, improvements will need to be made as funds and opportunities become available, beginning with one or two key places, and progressing from these to encompass the whole area over time. The main priority is to reverse the trend in decline, and to begin to establish a new modern parks management regime to take forward some new ideas.

The Plan deals in turn with the eight Thamesside parks: Caversham Court gardens, Christchurch Meadow, Hills Meadow, View Island, Kings Meadow and the Coal woodland, the Thames Promenade and Rivermead, and Bucks Eyot. For each of the parks, the Plan identifies its features, use and problems, and makes recommendations for dealing with the problems, enhancing the features, and rationalising leisure activities along the river. In addition, the Plan specifically addresses issues affecting all of the parks, like access, landscape quality, waterside safety, slipways, boat mooring, fishing, sport, art, children’s play, camping, catering, swans, biodiversity, promotion, and misuse.

The Plan can be viewed at using the link below.

Downloads

PDF

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File	Type	Size	Download Time
Thames Parks Plan	PDF	700 KB	56Kbps Modem: 2 Minutes Broadband : 14 Seconds