Caversham Court

Caversham Court is a public garden of about 1.3 hectares, located on the north bank of the River Thames near the centre of Caversham in Reading. It has been owned by Reading Borough Council since 1933. The gardens are included in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest as a Grade II landscape.

A private garden has been on the site since the 12th century when the rectory of St Peter’s Church was built, and many of its remaining features date from the 17th century. The house (now demolished) and garden were connected with some of Reading’s more distinguished citizens, like the Simonds family, as well as with some of England’s most significant historical events, like the Civil War and the Gunpowder Plot.

The main attraction of the site is that history has preserved a private garden and made it available as an intimate and charming public space in an attractive riverside position. As such, it is unique in Reading, and, indeed, in the Thames Valley.

In 2008, following a successful bid for development funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Public Parks Programme, a £1.6 million project to restore and enhance the gardens got underway. The Gardens reopened to the public on Friday 7 August 2009.

OPENING TIMES

May - September: 08:00 -21:00

October - April: 08:00 - Dusk