wonderfully rewarding

There are few places to rival Reading for its energy and ambition.

It is most definitely not the soulless commuter town or anonymous modern eyesore that many people imagine.

In truth, Reading is one of the most interesting and dynamic towns in the South East.   With a diverse, well educated and creative population, the town has some of the best performing schools in the UK, a red brick university leading the world in climate change study, one of the best shopping centres in the country, and is surrounded by unspoilt countryside and magnificent stretches of the river Thames. 

Thanks to the town’s superb location it’s hardly surprising that some of the world’s most famous companies have chosen to set up home here - Microsoft, Oracle Corporation, BG Group, Verizon Business and Symantec to name just a few. But Reading is surprising in so many other ways: Michelin Star restaurants; over eight hundred listed buildings and monuments; boutique hotels; family friendly museums; two National Trails and two beautiful rivers on our doorstep. 

As the town moves forward it proudly acknowledges its remarkable history. From an influential position at the heart of monarchy in the middle ages (the formidable Abbey Ruins still sit in the heart of the town centre), to its popularity as a thriving commercial centre under the Victorians, each new development has been embraced as part of a natural process of growth. The rapid expansion of the modern town, its optimism and commitment to regeneration is about re-establishing Reading as a leader on the international stage - but is also about creating a town that its people can feel proud of.

The people of Reading reflect the energy and ever changing face of the town. They come from all over the globe - to learn, to work, to experience our culture and to be part of the exciting way of life in modern Reading. Together, people and place are moving forward, sharing an ambitious vision for a town that is recreating itself with imagination and heart.