[Closed] Where to live if you work in Reading?

Sonning. Lovely, but £££!

If you're after town living then either London or Oxford would be a similar journey by train, if you're after something a bit more rural then there's loads of smaller towns and villages not far from Reading. It's certainly feasible to live in London and commute to Reading, plenty of people do it the other way around which would be much less pleasant.

What is it that you want out of where you live?

Thanks for the tips. In an ideal world I'd be living in Paris, so I'm wondering what's the closest approximation within a reasonable commute 🙂

Wokingham and surrounds isn't the worst place In the world, 20 mins from Reading in rush hour.

I was at Uni there, plenty of good road and MTB cycling around.

Why would you live in London and commute to Reading?

Also depends on where in Reading the job is and how you will commute. Reading rush hour traffic is not pleasant if driving.

Unfortunately, the nearest place to Reading that feels like Paris is probably Paris.

I quite like Reading as a town, but then I also quite like Basingstoke.

There's no close approximation of Paris closer to Reading than yer actual Paris France, so you can forget about that straight away.

I quite like Reading as a town, but then I also quite like Basingstoke.

I believe it's known as "Amazingstoke" thereabouts...

where in Reading (as it impacts journey a lot) and transport - train, car, ...

also what sort of place do you want to live (suburbia, city, town, village, middle of nowhere etc)

re Paris, you get a lot of dog muck and snails on most UK parks.....

Oxford?
It's a bit like Paris.
Honest.

"Thames Valley Park".

Live in Reading if you like towns. You dont want a comute from hell. If you hate towns like i do get a motorbike.

Have you thought about Slough? It is just like Paris.

Spot the difference

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quite a walk from Station, http://www.tvptravel.co.uk/tvp-buses
A4 going W into Reading blocks if at commuter time (*and other times)
however see A329M N bound(*or learn to swim/or bribe town planners if you like Oxfordshire)

so,possibly,- somewhere that you can get on the M4 easily - doesn't usually block until/from M4 Maidenhead morning/evening so you could go from East or West *beware London commuters at from west juncti0ns (J12 from S is ok but that's because there is nowhere to live there .....)

? Newbury - canal, river, tower (small crane at barge museum), smells of garlic nerxt to many Pizza outlets

I'm starting to see some flaws in my plan ... 🙁

Newbury has a Cafe Rouge, and Tescos sell things they call baguettes. Renault dealership has gone though. There might still be a Peugeot one.

It does have 4 bike shops though.

Couple of miles from the train station, all adds time and faff to the rail commute. I think your ideal of cosmopolitan urban living is in tatters. Wokingham is not a bad shout so long as you commute by car or bike or maybe Henley to the North East. Henley's got the better off road riding of the two.

I used to live in Pangbourne and commute to Reading. It starts with a "P"..
From what I've seen on the news recently it's more like Venice at the moment 🙂

are you talking '9 to 5' hours or something a bit different

Though much maligned, I think Bracknell is actually rather nice, and has plenty of greenspace and great facilities (especially for mtb'ers)

edit - just seen you're thames valley park - right at the end of a fast road from bracknell, but likely hell if main rush hours

I work at TVP and live in Crowthorne. Up until recently lived in Fleet.

M4 can be pretty horrendous at times, very often when I cross it it is at a standstill, but that's not til about 8:15 if I'm on the bike. If I take the car I tend to leave home at about 8:50 to miss the worst of the traffic, takes about 15 minutes to drive from Crowthorne, 40 mins to ride. The ride is OK actually (especially when compared to my last route from Fleet!)

Traffic round the whole area can be pretty horrendous during rush hour/school run, more so lately with all the flooding - Sonning bridge closes regularly when there's flooding and causes a huge traffic backlog through Reading and surrounds.

Lots of good riding around, lanes etc for roadies and Swinley, Minley Manor, Tunnel Hill, etc all very close by. I can ride to Swinley in about 15 mins from home.

Personally I'd say look at Wokingham/Crowthorne/Sandhurst/Finchampstead. Depends what you want though and what your budget is.

Feel free to mail me if you want more specific info.

Newbury has a Cafe Rouge, and Tescos sell things they call baguettes. Renault dealership has gone though. There might still be a Peugeot one.

It does have 4 bike shops though.

frankly with quotes like 'reading is the arse end of nowhere' and 'I'd rather live in Paris' it'd be better if he didn't come to Newbury.

I'd say live in Paris, sounds like you'd fit right in 🙂

I lived in Aldermaston wharf. Great rail link to reading and a really nice place.

I also used to live in Pangbourne, but had the good sense to live at the top of the hill 😀 Close enough to get to Reading easily , but far enough away to get some peace and quiet.

Worked in London and did the commute back and forth down the M4, M25 and A40 everyday for 18 months. Nearly F-in killed me. Don't know how people do that every day.

We were looking for a house to buy for ages and looked around Newbury and Aldermaston Wharf also, both very nice places. We almost bought a place in Newbury (Chandos Road).

Have you thought about Slough? It is just like Paris.

Spot the difference

That roundabout has sadly gone now and been replaced by an awful set of traffic lights.

(The Slough one, that is)

The Chilts obviously!

[i]That roundabout has sadly gone now and been replaced by an awful set of traffic lights.

(The Slough one, that is) [/I]

They've also knocked down the Brunel bus station and Slough College. Its a gross attack on Slough's cultural heritage. In a hundred years people will be decrying the loss of 70s concrete architecture.

At least the Library is still there.

Windsor is a bit like Paris

I live in Wokingham and work in Reading.

I've made my thoughts on the matter on other threads and been told to politely **** off if you don't like it*. There's probably worse places to enjoy purgatory, but unless you like earning money and spending it in the Oracle, theres not much to Reading. There's a comedy club, there's a theater which gets a succession of better comedians and worse pop bands, a few night clubs which range from crap, to crap and pretencious, to crap and pretencious and expensive. I think it's entirely possible that in the entirity of history no one has said "I want to go to Reading". "I'm going to Reading", I'm in Reading", "I'm from Reading" or "I'm thinking of going to Reading", but never wanting to be there.

Some towns people hate and tell you the best thing is the M123 leaving it. But even the M4 skirts arround Reading.

Oscar Wilde went to prison here and apparently left a reformed character, so we can conclude it's a good place for a prison if no one wants to go back.

The cycling isn't bad, the road biking is excelent and the MTB'ing is a case of making the most of a mediochre situation. Which in some places is very good (the MOD land to the south etc). It's no Scotland, Wales or Lakes, but it's probably better than a lot of the SE.

*plans are afoot. And some of what I say is tongue in cheek.

Cemetery Junction. You know it makes sense.

Actually, I lived down that way as a student, where the Kennet & Avon canal meets the Thames. It wasn't too bad. Long time ago, mind!

Live in central Reading - loads of flats. We used to have one overlooking the Kennet, was fab. You can cycle or walk along the towpaths to TVP reasonably quickly. You really don't want to drive it.

Where Boxfish suggests also has nice properties - we used to live in Hamilton Road for a while in a lovely flat there. I'd still choose centre of town though for convenience.

Rail is only 35 minutes or so from London if you need to get out. It's also not too bad to get to the M40 to head north.

EDIT: Oh, and avoid West Reading.

Have you thought about Slough?

Commuting out of London to Reading is perfectly feasible. It's about a 30 min train ride, with (empty) trains four times an hour. Live somewhere like Notting Hill and cycle your Brompton to Paddington, then ride the other end (or keep two bikes).

If you fancy nice, but not cosmopolitan, there is Windsor. Trains to Reading from Slough and you'll need to ride the other end.

I wouldn't contemplate driving into Reading along the M4 corridor.

Even on empty trains, that's over an hour of commuting each way. Or put another way, about an hour and a half a day you could be spending doing something else.

Reading isn't perfect, but neither is west London, and given the ridiculous house prices in Acton/Ealing/Notting Hill at the moment, plus the cost of a season ticket, it seems like you lose more than you gain.

If you want a town/something lively then Windsor is worth a look. If you like a quiet life then any of the smaller villages west of reading are worth a look.

I personally dislike Reading but a lot of people live there and seem to like it.

They've also knocked down the Brunel bus station and Slough College. Its a gross attack on Slough's cultural heritage. In a hundred years people will be decrying the loss of 70s concrete architecture.

I know. 🙁

At least the Library is still there.

Every cloud... 😀

Back to the OP's question - I would personally look north of Reading to get the better commute and avoid the M4. CG's suggestion of the Chilts is definitely worth a look - I loved living there. Alternatively have you looked at taking the train away from London, so somewhere like Twyford?

Probably easier and quicker to cycle direct from Twyford via the towpath. North of Reading is very nice if OP has the budget for it.

If you're the sort that can afford Windsor town centre prices and don't mind the commute, then Winchester town centre might also be worth a look. Train to Reading and then Brompton to TVP.

Kintbury has a station and is also within cycling distance of the highest hill fort in England. Fabulous scenery. 8)

Another suggestion is Kingsclere vicinity but you'd have to drive to Newbury station.

Even on empty trains, that's over an hour of commuting each way

I used to cycle from Fleet to TVP (~18 miles) faster than I could drive.

Thames Valley park is a very easy short bike commute from Caversham or Sonning, with a minimum of road work. You might find somewhere far cheaper to live in the former. It isn't very Parisien, but Waitrose sells baguettes.

I live in Whitchurch on Thames, which is on the river opposite Pangbourne. There is a lovely ride along the Thames from mine, (a bit muddy at the mo, but still above water) which you could ride all the way to TVP (7-8 miles) with only about 100 metres of urban road. It also isn't Paris, but some of the cafes have chairs and tables on the pavement and there is a very good cheese shop. And a roundabout.

Living the north of the Thames also gives you direct access to the Chiltern hills and its plethora of bridleway, cheeky trail and dogwalkers paths that make for some excellent XC riding. (When drier the current conditions)

I used to live in Oxford, which is great, but i'm now more than happy with Reading. The riding out of the doorstep is about as good as anything else in the South East, and I've found plenty of great shops and pubs etc, they just aren't as obvious as in Oxford/bits of London.

Its also about half an hour into Paddington at the weekend, and trains run until pretty late at night.

Ohh I work in Thames Valley Park so are you Microsoft or Oracle? I commute from Farnborough. The commute has got worse this year. Last year it was taking just under an hour but now it takes 1 hour 10 minutes in the school holidays it takes 30 minutes. The train takes just as long. Had a go at seeing how long it would take me to cycle and that was just over an hour so now all I need to do is be prepared for good weather and organise work clothes and laptop to be in Reading! At least we were not affected by the floods like a lot of people living near Reading! As to where to live depends on your budget and what you want. I don't understand why you would pay higher house prices to commute out of London.

Kintbury has a station and is also within cycling distance of the highest hill fort in England. Fabulous scenery.

Highest hill in the SE in general as well (Walbury, 297m) - though I'm sure I've seen Leith Hill measured at the same?

I live in Thatcham which I am sure is very comparable to Paris, although I have never been to paris. It has trains into Reading. My drive to work in Reading can take from 40 mins to an hour and 40 on the odd occasion. Its a bloody nightmare. Hopefully my leg will be repaired on monday so I can get back on the motorbike soon. If you work in Reading and dont need to worry about schools and kids and all that stuff just get a place in Reading. Its alright.

Another Wokingham resident here - there are about 5 trains an hour (during peak) to Reading although TVP is just over 2 miles from station. Caversham seems to be well regarded by others albeit more expensive. I know some people are contemplating buying in Maidenhead - thinking that in terms of a long term investment they will capitalise on uplift in property values once Crossrail comes to fruition (due to Maidenhead in 2019).

I've worked and lived in reading for 12 years. Lived in

Twyford - easy ride or train in to reading and tvp. But don't live near the station, gets a bit rough a night.

Whitchurch - easy train to reading or better still bike to tvp.

Central reading - some nice places near the university. Walk to work. But takes longer to get out biking somewhere.

Cholsey - train to reading (23mins) or bike (45mins). Where I live now!

Depends how long a commute you want but I'd say pangbourne, goring or cholsey. Train station if you want it, you can bike in if you want, nice villages, nice biking nearby. Personally I wouldn't go south area of reading as it'll be a bugger to get to tvp.

Ignoring things like schools, nightlife, etc for TVP you want to be somewhere along the A329M or the A4. Depending upon budget you should consider Wokingham, Twyford, Sonning, Wargrave, Maidenhead or some of the smaller villages along the way. Even Windsor if you don't mind a bit more of a drive.

Don't go north of the river if you value your sanity - places like Henley and Caversham are lovely, but the bridges are not for crossing, just for queuing at.

Pangbourne has a Bentley and Lamborghini dealer. Which is nice.

Pangbourne has a Bentley and Lamborghini dealer. Which is nice.

But you will also need a boat to get to and from work...

Personally I wouldn't go south area of reading as it'll be a bugger to get to tvp.

Live in Thatcham and if it was me, I would stay east of Reading if working where you do. Getting there from the west consists of jammed M4/ A329m or crawling A4 in the mornings and not much better in the evenings. If you decide to live on the West, then the kennet rolls straight into the business park by biking in. You can follow the Thames path from Tilehurst, past Cav and Reading bridge to Cav lock and onto the kennet bridge and to the park. Nice enough ride in the nice days. Bit dodgy in the winter. Or like people say, Wokingham, finchampstead ,back of Twyford etc

Tony - that's why I said pangbourne etc. you can train it in, if you drive you don't need to go over the bridge but better still it's faster to bike in! Off road and on road options.

Basingstoke etc would be a bugger and I wouldn't live north ( like sonning common) as you'll have the bridges etc.

Or live near Mandela house 😉

Agree Pangbourne area nice Rob, but train doesn't get you very close to TV and for two thirds of the year commuting by bike is miserable.

The more I think about it the more likely I would be to live in Windsor if moving to the area now.

I used to work on TVP. Free courtesy bus from the station, if not mentioned above. Relatively frequent service. I used to drive from Haslemere, relatively early in the morning, but traffic can be kak. Used to be 1hr at best. Trains are hellish busy coming into reading, took a bike on the train once (to see if cycle commuting was feasible), had to miss a train as it was so busy.

Would look at Oxford area maybe, but whatever somewhere away from Reading personally. I am not a lover of big towns, so not a slight on Reading itself, but just prefer the green fields.