West Reading, Berkshire

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name = West Reading
unitary_england = Reading
lieutenancy_england = Berkshire
region = South East England
constituency_westminster = Reading West
constituency_westminster1= Reading East
os_grid_reference = SU698732
latitude = 51.453330
longitude = -0.994870

West Reading is a district of the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.

Geography

The district has no formal boundaries, but the name is generally used to refer to the area to the west of Reading's city centre, to the north of the suburbs of Coley and Southcote, to the east of the suburb of Tilehurst and to the south of the Reading to Bristol railway line. As such it includes the densely populated area along and surrounding the Oxford Road as far as the foot of Norcot Hill, as well as the more affluent area to the north of the Bath Road and alongside Tilehurst Road as far as Prospect Park. The district is typical of the British inner-city as it is largely made up of rows of terraced houses.

The district lies entirely within the borough of Reading, including all of "Battle" ward together with parts of "Abbey", "Minster", "Norcot" and "Southcote" wards. Whilst most of the district is within the Reading West parliamentary constituency, the Abbey ward portion (between the Inner Distribution Road and Reading West station) lies in the Reading East parliamentary constituency.cite web | title = RBC Wards 2004 A4 | url = http://www.reading.gov.uk/Documents/transport_streets/RBC%20Wards%202004%20A4.pdf | publisher = Reading Borough Council | accessdate = 2008-02-14]

West Reading is served by Reading West railway station on the local railway line between Reading and Basingstoke. Reading Buses operate frequent bus services along the Oxford, Bath and Tilehurst Road corridors.

Institutions

The district contains the Church of England parish churches of All Saints, Holy Trinity, St Mark and Tylehurst St George, together with the Roman Catholic English Martyrs Church.

Battle Hospital, formerly one of Reading's general hospitals, was located on Oxford Road in West Reading. The hospital has now closed and been replaced by a Tesco supermarket and a residential estate.

The Elm Park stadium in West Reading was home to Reading Football Club from 1896 to 1998, but has now been redeveloped as a housing estate. The Reading Half Marathon runs through the streets of West Reading every year.

References