Reading City Guide

Home to the famous ‘Reading Festival’, which takes place every year in August, Reading is a town situated 40 miles west of London. If you’ve chosen to go to university here, you have definitely chosen well! With a lively student community, diverse cultures and a beautiful green campus, Reading University has it all.

University

The University of Reading was established in 1892. At the time it was better known as ‘University College, Reading’, since it was an extension of the University of Oxford. If you end up on London Road campus at any point, you’ll notice some ‘Oxford like’ features around. It was ranked among the top 30 UK universities in a recent World University Ranking and is known especially for Agriculture, Meteorology and Environmental Sciences. It is also recognised globally as a world-leader in research on the environment, contributing to many of the positive steps taken against climate change.

Student Areas and Accommodation

First year accommodation is located in and around the main campus, Whiteknights campus, with a small number of halls on London Road campus. Whiteknights campus is around 320 acres, so you’ll never be out of space to hang out! Whether you want a woodland walk, a lakeside stroll or a quick trip to the shops, you’ll always be covered.

The university provides both catered and self-catered halls, shared and ensuite bathrooms, and studio suites too. There is also accommodation available that is suitable for families and couples. In second and third year, when students typically move into shared housing, the most popular area is Earley. Situated close to Whiteknights campus, you will be surrounded by a whole host of other students, and you’ll never be too far from a shop, café or pharmacy. Perhaps most notably, for somewhere so close to London, student housing in Reading is surprisingly cheap when compared with other universities, so that’s always a bonus!

Getting Around

Train:

If there’s one thing you don’t need to worry about in Reading, it’s getting around. Reading train station is a major rail-hub which supplies very frequent services to London. A train to London can take you approximately 17 minutes! The recent addition of the TFL Elizabeth Line has also meant that people living in Reading can hop on the tube to get around. The train station also provides the Heathrow Express service, which takes you to Heathrow in 45 minutes, trains to Gatwick, Oxford, Bristol, Plymouth, Manchester, Birmingham and more. You’ll never be stuck for getting anywhere by train.

Bus:

Buses run frequently all over town and even go as far as Oxford and the surrounding areas. There are also buses that run to major airports including Heathrow and Gatwick. Buses also run back and forth from the university, connecting you to anywhere in and around town.

Bike:

If you’re looking for a more eco-friendly travel option, bikes are a great choice in Reading. With plenty of cycle lanes and lots of bike storage, you’ll easily get around two wheels.

Taxi:

Taxis are yet another option for getting around in Reading. Whether it be outside the train station, at the university or in the town centre, you’ll never be short of seeing a taxi to flag down. Although Uber isn’t big in Reading, you can use it, you just might be waiting a bit longer than in bigger towns or cities. The best way to get a taxi is usually to flag it down – if its ‘taxi’ light is illuminated, it means the taxi is available.

Food and Drink:

On campus:

There are plenty of places to eat and drink on campus. Whether you’re looking for lunch on the go, or a sit-down meal, there’s something for everyone. On the London Road campus you have the Dairy. Open till 11.30pm on weeknights, and with pints from £2.80, you can’t go wrong with the Dairy. On Whiteknights campus there are quite a few options. For lunch, head to the Bagel Man in the student’s union for a bagel with fillings of your choice, or why not pop over to DoLcHe Vita, a vegetarian café serving salads, sandwiches and hot drinks. Every Thursday (during term time), a number of pop-up stalls will be set up on campus, just outside the student’s union. Stalls include Greek food, Indian food and Chinese food. If you fancy more of a sit-down meal, places such as Park Eats, Mojo’s and Eat at the Square all have brilliant menus which, most importantly for students, don’t break the bank! These places also serve drinks, so why not have a cheap pint with your pizza?!

In town:

In town you’ll find all the usual high street foodie places. However, if you’re looking for something a little more authentic, have a look at Osaka. Here, they serve Japanese food such as sushi, so if this is right up your street, go and give it a try (but be prepared to queue!). A number of places do offer student discounts, a particularly notable one is The Outlook, a Greene King pub, who offer a 20% discount on both food and drinks. The Outlook has a beautiful view of the river and is a lively place to visit on a weekend night!

Nightlife:

In town you’ll find a mixture of bars and clubs. PopWorld, Lola Lo, Q Club and Purple Turtle are just some of the main ones that are popular with students. However, every Reading student will tell you that the real deal happens on campus. Every Wednesday the student’s union nightclub, 3sixty, holds ‘the biggest night out in Reading’. With a number of rooms catering to all music types, and £1.50 VK’s, there is something for everyone at ‘Wednesday Union’. A key benefit of Wednesday Union is the safety element. Guests have to be students, unless they are a plus one. Students can only bring 1 plus one each, and students from other universities can enter but on the condition that they buy a guest ticket and bring their student ID. Additionally, security is stringent but it is reassuring to know that you are in safe hands when going on a night out. 

Study Spots:

The university library is the prime location for studying at the University of Reading. The library has 5 floors, each one consisting of books from a range of courses. It also has excellent study spaces, including group study rooms, single seater desks and relaxed study spaces with sofas and armchairs. There is also a good mixture of silent study and not so silent study, along with spaces where you can use computers and printing areas. All these places include great access to charging points too. Additionally, you can head over to your school’s building or one of the cafes, both of which usually have spaces to sit and study in.

Local Amenities:

If you fancy a trip out to the shops, the Oracle is where you’ll want to head to! The Oracle is a large shopping centre situated in the centre of town. It is easily accessible by bus from campus or the surrounding areas. All your usual high street shops are located there along with even more shops around it in town. There are also a number of retail parks around Reading with Aldi’s and B&M’s, which are always handy to go to! These are also accessible by bus.

Gym and Sports Facilities:

Sportspark, which is located on campus, offers a gym, swimming poor and various sports courts such as tennis and badminton. Memberships are reasonably priced and there are various types you can get. SportsPark is handy if you live on or near campus. However, if you prefer a chain gym, you’ll find just about everyone you can think of in Reading! BuzzGym, PureGym and Nuffield are dotted around and again, very accessible by bus.

Health Services:

The university medical practice is located just off the campus. It is quick and easy to register. There are also other local doctors nearby such as Chancellor House Surgery which is just across the road from the main campus entrance. Dentists are also available, and the university provides a dental surgery which is located behind Chancellor House doctor’s surgery. These are all run under NHS terms.

Jobs and Volunteering Opportunities:

The university offers students a chance to get involved with on-campus jobs such as working in hospitality in the bars and cafes or working as a student ambassador.There are also plenty of cafes, shops and bars to work at in town too. Similarly, there are a number of volunteering opportunities at the University of Reading. The student’s union provides opportunities such as wildlife conservation projects to working with children and the elderly. 

Insider Tips:

There is so much to see and do during your time at the University of Reading, so make the most of it! Why not head to London for the day? Or see the beautiful sights of Berkshire, such as Swinley Forest. There’s also plenty to do in town such as Reading Farmers’ Market, a walk to beautiful Caversham or a trip to Sonning and Goring, just a 10-minute drive away. Whatever the weather, whatever the mood, there’s always something to do in Reading.