Town centre walk

Download the town centre walk leaflet

Length: 2.8 miles (3 km)

Duration: 1 hour

Difficulty: The walking surfaces are a mixture of pavement and shared paths.

Suitability: The walk includes some steps. Not accessible for wheelchairs, pushchairs or scooters.

Start: Reading Town Hall, Belgrave Street RG1 1QH ///spice.space.lobby

End: Reading Museum, Belgrave Street RG1 1QH ///foster.moth.token

Map showing walk route around the town centre.

Route highlights

This circular walk starts and ends at the Town Hall & Museum, and guides you through areas of historical significance within the town centre.

A. Start outside Reading Town Hall.

B. Walk past St Laurence’s Church towards Forbury Gardens.

C. Go through Forbury Gardens.

D. Pause to view the Abbey Gateway, once the entrance to the private area of Reading Abbey.

E. Walk under the stone bridge into the Abbey Ruins.

F. Exit the ruins onto the path along the River Kennet.

G. See Reading Goal and the Banksy mural, The Great Escape.

H. Return to the River Kennet and head towards Huntley & Palmers.

I. Once you cross Factory Bridge walk towards The Oracle Riverside.

J. Walk through Yield Hall Place and The Oracle.

K. Continue along Minster Street.

L. Take a walk through St. Mary’s Church.

M. Walk towards the Alehouse.

N. End your walk back at the Town Hall.

Places of interest along the Town Centre walking route

Reading Town Hall

Reading Town Hall was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in 1875, a leading 19th-century architect who lived in Reading. The building was built with locally made red and grey bricks with terracotta panels including a clock tower. Behind the Town Hall is an even older building from 1786, known as the Small Town Hall.

Outside the town hall stands the Queen Victoria statue, erected in 1887 to celebrate her golden jubilee.

St Laurence Church

Dating back to the Middle Ages, St Laurence’s Church served both local townspeople and residents of an almshouse located within the abbey grounds. During medieval times, criminals could seek safety by ‘claiming sanctuary at here by asking the priest to call a coroner (a legal official), confessing their crimes to him and swearing to leave the country quickly and never to return.

The image Reading town centre with impressive Victorian architecture. The dominant feature is a striking red brick building with a tall clock tower, which is the town hall, displaying ornate Victorian Gothic Revival styling with decorative stonework and arched windows. A sign reading "TOWN HALL" is visible at the building's entrance. In the centre of the square stands a statue of Queen Victoria on a stone pedestal. The public square features modern paving and street furniture, creating a pedestrianised area. Behind the town hall, there's another historic stone building with a square tower, St Laurence Church, constructed from lighter-coloured stone. To the right of the image are more recent commercial buildings with white facades. The scene is set under a partly cloudy blue sky, with bare trees suggesting it's winter or early spring. A few pedestrians can be seen in the square, and the overall atmosphere captures the blend of historic grandeur and modern civic use typical of English market towns. The architecture and layout suggest this is likely a county town or significant market town with a rich Victorian heritage.
Wide screen photo showing Reading Abbey in the foreground and modern town centre building in the background.

Reading Abbey ruins

Founded in 1121 by Henry I, Reading Abbey was one of Europe’s largest royal Monasteries. It was intended as a spiritual resting place for the king and his family.

In 1135 Henry I died in Normandy and his body was returned to Reading. He was buried in the front of the alter of the abbey. Reading Abbey became an important destination for medieval pilgrims. When King Henry I decided the abbey would be his resting place, he set about acquiring a large collection of saintly relics. These would attract pilgrims who would venerate the relics and contribute to the economy of the abbey and the town.

Reading Abbey was closed by King Henry VIII along with all other abbeys in England. They was due to Henry leaving the Catholic church to create the new Church of England. Abbeys were not part of this new religion. Find out more History of the Abbey Quarter | Reading Museum

Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin

Reading Minster, also known as St Mary’s church, is Reading’s oldest church. It dates back to the Saxon period and is likely to have been the site of a nunnery. By the 10th century the title ‘Minster’ was used for the most important church in an area, sometimes with pastoral or administrative responsibilities. In 1121 Henry I gave the church and its lands to Reading Abbey.

After Reading Abbey was destroyed, St Mary’s Church regained its status as Reading Minster. The current building includes stones reused from the abbey ruins and today serves as an active Anglican parish church.

The image shows a magnificent medieval church with a distinctive tall tower featuring an unusual chequerboard pattern of light and dark stone, creating a striking diamond or diaper work design across its entire surface. The tower is Gothic in style with ornate pinnacles at each corner and large Gothic arched windows. The church is surrounded by lush green trees and sits in what appears to be a town centre setting with modern paving and street furniture. Several people can be seen in the foreground, giving a sense of the building's impressive scale. There are also some vehicles parked nearby and modern street lamps visible. The sky is dramatic with white and grey clouds against patches of blue, creating an atmospheric backdrop for this historic building. The architectural style and decorative stonework suggest this is likely a significant medieval parish church, possibly dating from the 14th or 15th century. The church is surrounded by a mix of historic and more modern buildings visible in the background.
Last updated on 02/09/2025