Reading has been a city of importance dating back from its establishment in the 8th century. It has grown from a town of commerce into a technological hotspot and popular travel destination. With many beautiful ruins from its past still standing and an abundance of parks to display them, Reading is a wonderful place to visit in spring. When the weather permits enjoy a colourful walk through the city’s past.
We have compiled a list of our top 5 favourite parks, all recognized by Tripadvisor for their excellence in customer service and their consistency in earning great reviews from travellers.
Basildon Park
This is a story of an 18th century mansion loved so dearly, that it was built, dissolved, and then resurrected again. Basildon Park is home to this beautiful Georgian mansion, surrounded by magnificent parkland. The house you see today residing at the park is an elegantly restored creation of the mansion. The Lord and Lady who restored the home in the 1950s scoured the country salvaging matching architectural fixtures and fittings as close to the originals as possible. They filled their comfortable home with 18th century fine paintings, fabrics and furniture.
Visitors can enjoy the mansion and the wonderful park grounds by strolling around on their own accord or in tours. There are also many trails to walk or run through, and a cafe for snacks and tea.
Wellington Country Park
Wellington Country Park is known as the ‘The Biggest Outdoor Play Area in Berkshire’. Situated between Reading and Basingstoke, it offers an ideal destination for the entire family. There are several adventure play areas, zip wires, sand pits, a miniature railway and miniature golf course. There are beautiful nature trails to explore Wellington’s landscape and wildlife as well as an Animal Farm for the children. Visitors can choose to bring their own picnic meals or visit the cafe which has a full menu of hot and cold snacks and drinks.
It is open seasonally during the warmer months, so make sure to check the website for the dates and times.
Forbury Gardens
Forbury Gardens is a delightful Victorian town garden which provides a peaceful and tranquil retreat for its residents and visitors. It is located near Reading Town Station, between the town centre and the ruins of the 11th century Abbey. The Forbury Gardens is home to the notorious Maiwand Lion statue, a sculpture erected in 1884 to commemorate the deaths of 329 men from the 66th Berkshire Regiment of Foot during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.
The gardens have won a Green Flag Award every year, along with annual accreditation as a Green Heritage Site, the BALI award, and Best Regional Park in the Britain in Bloom competition.
Beale Park
Beale Park was founded in 1956 by Gilbert Beale, when he decided to donate 350 acres of his land to public use. Due to his love of animals, he turned the land into an amazing charity park committed to the care and conservation of rare and endangered species. The park is a great place to be! Not only will you see exotic creatures, you can stroll through the magnificent gardens, and kids can enjoy the splash pool or miniature train. Whether you want an adventure for the entire family, or a peaceful stroll through nature, Beale Park was created for all.
Fun fact: In 1967, there were over 300 Indian Peacocks on the site!
Silchester Roman City Walls and Amphitheatre
The ancient Silchester site takes us back to the late 1st century BC where the Iron Age Atrebates Tribe had its centre, called Calleva. After the Roman conquest of AD 43, it became known as Calleva Atrebatum, a very large and important development of its time. Unlike most Roman towns, it was never reoccupied or built over after it was abandoned in the 6th or 7th century. A complete circuit of the Roman walls, some of the best-preserved Roman town defences in England, and remains of the amphitheatre still stand to this day for our modern exploration and viewing Free admission, and according to the website, open during all reasonable daylight hours PREMIER SUITES are the perfect choice of accommodation when travelling to Reading on business or leisure. Our luxurious serviced apartments are centrally located right next to the Reading Train and Coach Station. So our guests can simply travel from anywhere in the UK straight to our front door, and conveniently, from our front door to any of the above destinations, as our central location puts us within easy reach of Reading’s most popular attractions.
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