Reading Berkshire Directly west of London, in the county of Royal Berkshire is Reading, also referred to as the Capital of the Thames Valley. Being just 35 miles from central London with the added convenience of the nearby location of the M4 and many modern facilities, Reading is fast becoming a much sought after place to live. As a visitor to the area, one of the best ways to see the town is by joining in one of the Blue Badge tours that you can find out about at the Reading Visitor Centre. The tours take you around the main sites such as the oldest church in the area St Mary Minster, and the ruined Reading Abbey detailing its interesting history. Next to the abbey ruins you’ll also find Reading’s prison, where Oscar Wilde was famously housed and where he penned ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol.’ Aside from Reading’s history much of the town is in fact very recent including the new Oracle shopping centre and the many business parks and major business headquarters, currently attracting many people to move with their work to the Reading area. This renewed interest in the town has had the knock on effect of better transport links, new housing and plenty of entertainment to give the area a much-needed boost that is now starting to pay off. The other main reason for people visiting Reading is the Reading Festival held every August over three days. The festival consists of a whole host of live bands from well-known names to new faces, with separate dance and comedy stages that always proves a huge success allowing the festival to grow year by year.