| Reading, Berkshire |
Article Index for Reading |
Website Links For Reading |
Information AboutReading, Berkshire |
Reading is a Town , Unitary Authority (the '''Borough of Reading''') and urban area in the English county of Berkshire . It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet , midway between London and Swindon off the M4 Motorway . The name ''Reading'' is pronounced to rhyme with ''bedding'' (in IPA ). Reading was an important national centre in the Medieval period, as the site of an important monastery with strong royal connections, but suffered serious economic damage during the 17th century from which it took a long time to recover. Today it is again an important commercial centre, with strong links to Information Technology and Insurance . It is also a university town, with two universities and a large student population. GEOGRAPHY Location Reading is located some 66 km (41 miles) due west of central London, 48 km (30 miles) southeast of Oxford and 64 km (40 miles) east of Swindon . The centre of Reading is on a low ridge between the Rivers Thames and Kennet close to their confluence, reflecting the town's history as a river port. Just before the confluence, the Kennet cuts through a narrow steep-sided gap in the hills forming the southern flank of the Thames flood plain. The absence of a floodplain on the Kennet in this defile enabled the development of wharves. As Reading has grown, its suburbs have spread in three directions:
However outside the central area, the floors of the valley containing the two rivers remain largely unimproved Floodplain , subject to occasional flooding. Apart from one road across the Kennet floodplain, and the M4 looping to the south, the only routes between the three built-up areas are in the central area, creating road congestion there. Reading has its own subregional catchment area, incorporating the towns of Wokingham , Bracknell and Twyford , plus large villages such as Pangbourne , Theale , Winnersh , Burghfield and Shiplake .
Definition It should be noted that, depending on the definition adopted, neither the town nor the urban area are necessarily co-terminous with the borough. Thus, the borough has a Population of 144,000 in an area of 40.40 Km&2 , whilst the Office For National Statistics ' definition of the urban area of Reading is significantly larger at 232,662 people in an area of 55.35 Km&2 . This latter area – sometimes referred to as Greater Reading – incorporates the town's eastern and western suburbs outside the borough, in the civil parishes of Earley , Woodley , Purley-on-Thames and Tilehurst (see below for further details). This urban area is itself a component of the Reading/Wokingham Urban Area . Reading is the 17th largest settlement in England, based on the population of the urban area.12 Historically, the town of Reading was smaller than the current borough, and has had several definitions over the years. Such definitions include the old ecclesiastical Parish es of Reading St Mary, St Laurence and St Giles, or the even smaller pre-19th century borough.3 Suburbs Reading has a number of Suburb s, both within the borough itself and within the surrounding urban area. The names and location of these suburbs are in general usage but, except where some of the outer suburbs correspond to Civil Parish es, there are no formally defined boundaries. The borough itself is unparished, and the Ward s used to elect the borough Councillor s generally ignore the accepted suburbs and use invented ward names. The suburbs include:
HISTORY lion in Forbury Gardens — an unofficial symbol of Reading]] The settlement was founded at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet in the Eighth Century as ''Readingum''. The name is probably from the Anglo-Saxon for "(Place of) Readda's People", or (less probably) the Celtic Rhydd-Inge, "Ford over the River". It was occupied by the Vikings after the Battle Of Reading (871) , but had recovered sufficiently by its 1086 Domesday Book listing to contain around 600 people and be made a designated borough. The town was a place of Pilgrimage in medieval times to Reading Abbey . In 1253 Reading's Merchant Guild successfully petitioned for the grant of a charter from the King and negotiated a division of authority with the Abbey. The dissolution of the Abbey saw Henry VIII grant the Guild a new charter in 1542 with which to become a borough corporation to run the town. By the end of the 16th century Reading was the largest town in Berkshire, home to over 3,000 people. During the Medieval period and Tudor times Reading grew rich on its trade in cloth, as instanced by the fortune made by local merchant John Kendrick . The town played an important role during the English Civil War ; it changed hands a number of times. Despite its Fortifications , it had a Royalist garrison imposed on it in 1642. The subsequent Siege by the Parliamentary forces succeeded in April 1643. However the taxes levied on the town by the garrison badly damaged its cloth trade, and it did not recover. Reading was also the only site of significant fighting in England during the Revolution Of 1688 with the Battle Of Reading . The 18th century saw the beginning of a major Iron Works in the town and the growth of the Brewing trade for which Reading was to become famous. Agricultural products from the surrounding area still used Reading as a market place, especially at the famous Reading cheese fair but now trade was coming in from a wider area. Reading's trade benefited from better designed Turnpike roads which helped its establish its location on the major coaching routes from London to Oxford and the West Country . It also gained from increasing river traffic on both the Thames and Kennet. In 1723 despite considerable local opposition the Kennet Navigation opened the River Kennet to boats as far as Newbury. This opposition stopped when it became apparent the new route benefited the town. The opening of the Kennet And Avon Canal in 1810 made it possible to go by barge from Reading to the Bristol Channel . |
|
|