British Walking Federation

READING  RIVERS  AND  BUILDINGS   WALK  ORGANISED BY THAMES VALLEY WALKING CLUB

CONTACT :  Peter Tilbury, 116 Wykeham Road, Reading, Berkshire RG6 1PL     
Tel: 0118 966 6523   Fax: 0118 926 6303   Email: pntilbury@aol.com

DISTANCE:  10km
ENTRY FEE:  £1.00 per walker
(Cheques made payable to Thames Valley Walking Club)
AWARD:  Cloth badge at £2.00 each
START VENUE:  Riverside Car Park, Caversham Bridge, Reading. 
Map 175, GR SU710747
DIRECTIONS TO START:  Follow signs towards Caversham. Before crossing Caversham Bridge, turn left at roundabout by ‘Crowne Plaza Hotel, and then turn right into car park. The walk can also be started at Reading train station at point marked (**) after question 1. 
CAR PARKING:  At start venue. (Very full on weekdays)   There are also several car parks located around the town centre & station areas.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:  Bus and train service within 1km of start
TERRAIN: Urban areas, minor roads, parkland, riverside and canal paths. Suitable for pushchairs.
REFRESHMENTS: Can be purchased at various places on the route.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION  (Updated 24th January 2008)

Leave car park & turn right on riverside footpath. Go under bridge & go ahead on riverside footpath with river on left. After approx 300mtrs, pass Thames Avenue on the right and look across to the island on your left.

Q1:  What is the name of the Bowls Club on the island?

Continue on riverside footpath and at ‘Isis Court’ on right, turn right passing ‘Isis Court’ on your left. At end of road go ahead to cross dual carriageway using pedestrian crossing, turn right & at roundabout turn left. Pass ‘TGI Friday’s’ and Royal Mail depot on left and Fire Station on right and go under railway bridge. Take next road on left towards the railway station. Follow road to reach station entrance by ‘The Three Guineas’ PH (**) bear round to the right & at roundabout turn left towards car parks. At Heathrow Railair Coach Stop & Lounge and just before mini-roundabout cross road on pedestrian crossing, turn left to mini-roundabout and turn right into Blagrave Street towards ‘town centre’ & ‘Oracle’.

At road junction, go straight ahead (passing Museum on left) to reach statue of Queen Victoria outside Town Hall. Turn right into Friar Street and pass “Yates” on right and Reading County Court on left. Pass straight across Station Road on right and continue along Friar Street for approx 100 mtrs and on left look for and turn left into narrow walkway called Union Street (locally known as "Smelly Alley" due to number of fish shops which used to trade from here). Continue to end and turn right into pedestrian walkway called Broad Street and continue straight ahead to reach traffic lights by ‘Zavvi’.

Go straight ahead on left hand side of road & immediately after passing ‘Argos’, turn left through bollards passing the Renaisance hotel on right and head towards a red “Hexagon” post sign in the distance at the end of the walkway. At ‘Hexagon’, turn left & head towards church to reach t-junction St Mary’s Butts.

Q2:  What is the name of the church opposite?

Turn right (Note the memorial on island in middle of road to Queen Victoria to commemorate her 50^th year of reign in 1887) to reach traffic lights. Turn right at ‘The Horn PH’ into Castle Street and pass ‘The Sun PH’ on right.

At mini roundabout go ahead, passing lane of Alms Houses on left (opposite Police Station) & continue to roundabout. Turn left down slope. Go under footbridge & bear left on road. Turn right into New Bright Street & follow to reach ‘Asantewa House’ (crossing the last remnant of Reading’s tram lines). Continue to follow road to reach t-junction by ‘House of Fraser’. Turn right & immediately turn left to cross road & enter the ‘Oracle’ riverside footpath with river on right. (NB No dogs are allowed through the ’Oracle’ but this can be by-passed by turning right after crossing road and walk over river bridge and continue towards the flyover. At t-lights and before flyover bear round to the left and walk along side of road on cycle/footpath underneath the car park to reach next major road junction, cross road and turn right to cross slip roads and dual carriageway and then pass “Great Expectations” hotel & bar’ on left.) Follow riverside footpath through pedestrian area with river on right to reach ‘Debenhams’. Continue ahead to reach junction with road. Turn right over bridge to reach traffic lights. Bear left to cross road & turn right.  Cross slip road and at road junction, go straight ahead to cross dual carriageway & second slip road. Continue ahead on road known as London Street passing “Great Expectations” hotel & bar on left and after approx 100m turn left into South Street (opposite former ‘Reading Savings Bank’). At cross roads go ahead crossing over East Street and after approx. 40m to reach Baptist Chapel on left.

Q3:  What is the name of this Chapel?

Continue on road to reach cross roads. Turn left into Sidmouth Street. At t-junction turn left to reach pedestrian crossing. Cross dual carriageway using crossing & turn right. After 10 m turn left into Sidmouth Street & follow to reach river. Turn left, cross wooden bridge with metal railings & bear right onto riverside footpath. Go up ramp & turn right and cross over narrow footbridge, down steps & turn right to reach main road. At t-junction turn left & after approx. 100m turn right into Abbey Square (Note Holy Brook flowing under library). Follow road round right hand bend & continue on road to reach T- junc. (Note Abbey ruins & Reading Prison in front of you). Turn left & follow road past Abbot’s House on right under Abbey Gateway. Turn left passing the Crown Court on your left & continue ahead to reach Post Office. Turn right & cross road to church. Go round front of church.

Q4:  What is the name of this church?  

Immediately turn right again along narrow walkway on other side of Church & follow to reach churchyard. Go ahead to reach road.Cross the road & go through gateway to enter Forbury Gardens. (This gateway is sometimes locked. If it is, turn left to reach another gateway into the gardens opposite Valpy Street.) After entering the gardens, head towards the Lion statue bearing right and pass to the left of the Maiwand Lion and to the right of the bandstand & head towards Abbey Gateway (DO NOT EXIT GARDENS). Turn left immediately before the refreshment kiosk and continue on the perimeter footpath towards the far right hand corner of the gardens. Go ahead down and under bridge to enter the Abbey grounds & Abbey ruins, bear right on footpath & follow alongside Abbey ruins to reach river. Turn left on riverside footpath. Just before road, bear right on footpath towards ‘Blake’s Lock Museum’ (There is NO sign for Blake’s Lock Museum here) & follow footpath under road. Continue ahead on riverside footpath to reach road.

Q.5    What year is on the Crest opposite?

Turn right on road & follow to reach t-junction. Turn left, cross river & immediately turn left down steps onto riverside footpath. Go straight ahead with river on left. Pass ‘Blakes Lock’ & continue ahead on riverside footpath to pass under two brick railway bridges. After approx 30m at junction of rivers (the mouth of the River Kennet entering the River Thames), turn right & immediately turn right onto the footbridge (Horseshoe Bridge). Follow bridge over river & at end of bridge, go ahead on riverside footpath to reach playing fields known as ‘Kings Meadows’. Continue on right hand side of playing fields with river on right to reach Caversham Lock. Continue ahead on riverside footpath to pass under road bridge (Reading Bridge). Continue ahead on riverside footpath for a further 800m to reach Caversham Bridge. Go under bridge & continue ahead on riverside footpath passing ‘Crowne Plaza’ hotel to return to car park and end of walk.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE WALK:

          1. Horseshoe Bridge:-   This was built principally to take the horses pulling the barges on the River Thames across the River Kennet. It is one of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s lesser works.

          2. Huntley & Palmers:-   Redevelopment has taken place on the old biscuit manufacturing site, although one original building still remains as a listed building.

          3. Reading Abbey & Gateway:-  The Abbey gateway is the first part of the ruins you encounter on the walk & the best preserved. The Abbey was founded by King Henry 1 & it is believed that he is buried within the ruins.

          4. Reading Prison:-  The old buildings are hidden within the perimeter wall. A notable prisoner was Oscar Wilde whose interment resulted in his famous work “The ballad of Reading Gaol”.

When you have completed this trail please use the  Permanent Trail Entry Form

The organisers are not liable for accidents, thefts and/or damage to property.  Every effort will be made by the organisers to make this a safe, enjoyable and memorable event.

This trail is registered until 31 December 2009.