Don't miss this when you are in Reading...

With over 1200 years of history behind us you'll find remarkable stories and intriguing buildings around every corner

Founded by the Saxons in around 800AD, Reading was a natural choice for a settlement, set as it was in a fertile valley between the Thames and the Kennet.  There are many ideas for how Reading got its name, but favourite has to be that it derived from the Saxon for "Reada's people",  Reada being a Saxon tribal leader. 

Since its early days as a farming community the town has witnessed invasion by the Vikings and the Normans, has been the setting for Royal burials and marriages, has been a pilgrimage site of European importance, and was occupied at various times by both sides in the Civil War. 

We have listed here some of the most historic and intriguing parts of Reading you should explore when you visit.   An excellent starting point to discover more is, of course, the Museum of Reading, and we recommend Daphne Phillips' excellent History of Reading, as well as many of the titles published by "Two Rivers Press" locally.       

For more detailed local history, or if you are studying your family tree, you will find lots of help at the Local Studies Library, the Berkshire Records Office and Berkshire Family History Society (using the quick links).