By the Thames in Reading

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Walk directions

Start by the statue of Queen Victoria. Head the way she is facing, beside the Town Hall, past the entrance to Reading Museum and Art Gallery. Cross Valpy Street and turn right into Forbury Road. Walk down to the roundabout, past the Rising Sun pub on the corner, and turn left towards the railway bridge. Pass beneath it and cross the road at the pedestrian lights. Cross King’s Meadow Road to Reading Bridge.

Take the steps, right, just before the bridge to join the Thames Path. Turn right, heading downstream. Past Caversham Lock the sound of traffic begins to fade and the surroundings become leafier. Skirt King’s Meadow, with its smart apartments and houses on the opposite bank. Pass a boatyard full of cabin cruisers and narrowboats, and continue under horse chestnut trees. Eventually reach Kennet Mouth, where a distinctive Sustrans waymark directs you over the bridge (signed towards Bristol).

Cross the Kennet via Horseshoe Bridge with its distinctive blue-painted wooden slats, and on the far side turn left, back on yourself, heading for central Reading. Pass beneath Brunel’s railway bridge, and just past The Fisherman’s Cottage note on the opposite bank the picturesque Victorian buildings, formerly Reading’s main sewage station, now home to the Riverside Museum (Blake’s Lock) and a bar/restaurant. Leave the tow path at the next bridge. Turn right along King’s Road, passing the red-brick facade of the old Huntley and Palmer’s biscuit factory (look up to see its name), now residential. Turn immediately right, and continue for 100yds (91m) to cross the green-painted bridge built by Reading Gas Company in 1880.

Take a slight detour at this point to follow the signs for the short distance to Blake’s Lock. Retrace your steps and turn left onto the tow path, with the huge Prudential building on the left bank. Pass under the King’s Road bridge, keep right and follow Chestnut Walk (also known as the Oscar Wilde Memorial Walk). The tall walls of Reading Gaol, where Wilde was imprisoned, are immediately to the right. Adjacent are the rubble-stone ruins of Reading Abbey.

Go up a flight of steps leading to a small garden area. The Abbey ruins are to your right. Go straight through the garden onto Abbot’s Walk and ahead of you is Forbury Gardens. Enter these lovely gardens via the main gate opposite the old Abbey Gateway (to the right of here is Reading Crown Court). The centrepiece is a giant statue of a lion, erected to commemorate the late 19th-century imperial campaigns in Afghanistan. Leave the gardens via the Victoria Gate, to the left. Go straight ahead, past the Church of St Laurence-in-Reading on the right, and turn right to return to the start of the walk.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Pavements, river and canal tow path

Landscape - Urban

Dog friendliness - Lead required in town, under strict control on river bank

Parking - The Forbury, Chatham Street, Garrard Street, Hexagon

Toilets en route - Reading Station, Blake's Lock Riverside Museum

About the walk

Reading's skyline has changed dramatically over the years – riverside office developments have taken the place of many of the older buildings, and the vast Oracle shopping complex is now the glittering jewel in the town centre's crown. However, some of old Reading's landmarks remain – and one of... them is the town's gaol where Oscar Wilde languished for 18 months, between November 1895 and May 1897. Beside it stands Reading Abbey, established by Henry I in 1121. The abbey grew to become one of the richest and most important religious houses in the land, until Henry VIII sealed its fate with the Dissolution. The buildings were desecrated during the Civil War. Its history is recorded on the wall outside, but at present there is no admission to its grounds. The importance of being Oscar It was the 8th Marquess of Queensberry, frustrated by thwarted attempts to break up the scandalous relationship between his son, Lord Alfred Douglas, and Oscar Wilde, who was responsible for the writer's downward spiral. He had publicly insulted Wilde at his home, at his clubs and throughout London's theatreland where many of Wilde's plays were staged. Caught in the crossfire between father and son, Wilde brought a prosecution for libel against Queensberry, but he lost the case. Queensberry and his cohorts now began plotting to destroy Wilde. They gave evidence against him, testifying to his dubious sexuality and improper practices. The 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act made sexual relations even between consenting males illegal, and Wilde was found guilty. After two short spells in London prisons, Wilde was transferred to Reading Gaol. By now his physical condition had deteriorated, and he was depressed and confused. Impressed by Wilde's reputation as a gifted writer, the prison governor made arrangements for him to work in the garden and in the prison library. But life was still very tough. If prison's dreary routine was hard for Wilde, things were no better on the outside. His books were withdrawn from sale, his name was removed from theatre posters and he was declared bankrupt. Wilde had been ostracised. On his release, he was philosophical about his time in prison. It had given him time to study himself and there had certainly been long periods of soul-searching – 'that might bring balm to the bruised heart, and peace to the soul in pain', he wrote to Lord Alfred Douglas. Each man kills the thing he loves While in prison, Wilde wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol (published in 1898), about a man hanged there for the murder of his wife. This work, more than any other, gave him status as a writer of serious merit.

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Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

Located at the heart of England, Oxfordshire enjoys a rich heritage and varied scenery, with Oxford’s elegant streets a highlight for visitors. The landscape encompasses open chalk downland, picturesque rivers and attractive villages, while northwest of Oxfordshire is home to the sleepy backwaters of Abingdon, Wallingford, Wantage, Watlington and Witney that reveal how Oxfordshire’s old towns evolved over the centuries.