Reading has been a town for almost a thousand years, and existed even before that. Despite its age and proximity to London, it has retained much of its charm and is one of the largest urban areas in England not to have city status.
History has been played out here over the centuries, from the building – and destruction – of Reading Abbey, to the imprisonment of Oscar Wilde. As well as being close to the capital, it’s also a good launchpad for trips to historical sites such as Windsor Castle.
Roaming Reading
The best starting point to get to grips with the town’s history is at Reading Museum. It’s housed in the impressive town hall and leads you from the days when Reading was a Saxon outpost through medieval times, on to the industrial revolution and beyond.
The main attraction? A huge copy of the Bayeux Tapestry, 70 metres long and made in the late 19th century. You’ll also find Roman artefacts and items found in the ruins of Reading Abbey.
That same abbey is close by, next to the handsome Forbury Park. This prime green space has a band stand, picnic-friendly lawns and stunning monuments. Originally the Abbey’s outer court, the area and its ruins are hugely atmospheric.
The abbey was founded in 1121, then dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538 during the period when he was at war with the church as he sought a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Jane Austen went to a school on this site too, and the Grade I-listed remains are well-preserved.
Mansions and gardens
Just outside Reading you’ll find a number of impressive houses, all of which have a different tale to tell. Some were homes to industrial magnates, others to the aristocracy.
Basildon Park, a 13-kilometre drive to the north-west, is a National Trust building set in rolling parkland. A late 18th-century Palladian construction surrounded by gorgeous gardens, it’s open to the public and full of grand rooms and art collections.
Its splendour has only stayed intact by the skin of its teeth – it was used to house World War Two prisoners of war and was due to be demolished in the 1950s.
Even closer to Reading, Mapledurham House is a stately Elizabethan mansion from the 16th century. Closed at weekends, you can visit the grounds and 14th-century watermill during the week, where you’ll spot priest holes and a quaint 13th-century church. It’s been widely used as a TV and film location, with some saying it was the inspiration for Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows.
Royal residency
Make the most of Reading car hire by visiting the splendid Windsor Castle, a 32-kilometre drive to the east. The Queen spends more time here than she does at Buckingham Palace and it doesn’t disappoint, standing as a vast mass of impressive towers and battlements.
Take a tour and you’ll wander through chapels and state apartments, walking in the footsteps of the kings and queens who have lived here since William the Conqueror built it in 1080.
Fans of the royal family will love seeing St. George’s Chapel, where the Queen Mother lies at rest and Prince Harry married Meghan Markle. There’s also some fascinating military history to discover.
From castles to the English countryside, explore the wonders of Southern England with car hire in Reading with Hertz. Reserve your hire car online now.