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READING is a modern, prosperous town on the south bank of the River Thames, ten miles south of Henley. Guarding the western approaches to London, it has always been important, long a stopping-off point for kings and queens and once home to one of the country's richest abbeys. Henry VIII took care of the abbey, seizing its lands and hanging the abbot from the main gate, and today almost nothing remains of the old town except the shattered remains of the aforementioned abbey, a short walk to the east of the pedestrianized shopping centre.
Reading's location in the Thames Valley to the west of London means that it has always had a significant position in the nation's transport system. The town grew up as a river port at the confluence of the Thames and Kennet. Today both of these rivers remain navigable, although such navigation is exclusively leisure oriented. The locks of Caversham Lock, Blake's Lock, County Lock, Fobney Lock and Southcote Lock are also all within the borough.
Reading was also a major staging point on the old Bath Road (A4) from London to Bath and Bristol. This road still carries local traffic, but has now been replaced for long distance traffic by the M4 motorway which closely skirts the borough and serves it with three junctions (J10-J12). Within Reading the Thames is crossed by both Reading and Caversham road bridges, whilst several road bridges cross the Kennet.
Reading is a major junction point on the national rail system, and as a consequence Reading station is the UK's second largest transfer point (after Clapham Junction), as well as serving heavy originating and terminating traffic. The main route is the Great Western Main Line, which runs west from London's Paddington station before splitting in Reading with lines serving the West Country (Swindon, Bath, Bristol) and South Wales. Secondary lines connect Reading with London's Waterloo station, Guildford, Gatwick Airport, Birmingham, Basingstoke, Southampton and the South Coast. A railway-operated express bus service named RailAir links Reading with London Heathrow Airport.
Local transport is largely road-based, with significant peak hour congestion in the borough. A comprehensive and frequent local bus network within the borough, and a less frequent network in the surrounding area, are provided by Reading Buses. The A329M, A33 and A4 national routes link the town with junctions 10, 11 and 12 of the M4 motorway respectively.
There is a flourishing arts scene in the town, with both the Reading Film Theatre (tel 0118/9868497) and the Hexagon Theatre (tel 0118/9606060) offering a good programme of shows, but you wouldn't make a beeline for the place were it not for its two big summertime music festivals . The first, the three-day WOMAD festival ( ; tickets tel 0118/9390930), held each July, is a celebration of World Music, Arts and Dance, originally inspired by Peter Gabriel. Since the first WOMAD in 1982, there have been about a hundred spin-off events in twenty countries, but the Reading festival remains the focus, held at the Rivermead Leisure Complex, Richfield Avenue, just to the north of the town centre. Also held at the Rivermead Leisure Complex, but a little later in the summer, the Reading Festival ( ) is a three-day event featuring many of the big names of contemporary music. Details of who is performing are published in the music press at least a couple of months in advance and tickets are available from record shops across the country. The vast majority of festival-goers camp on site and special buses run there in their hundreds, or you can walk from Reading train station - it only takes fifteen minutes.
Reading can be reached by train from London Paddington and London Waterloo. The tourist office , in the town hall, in the town centre on Blagrave Street (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm; tel 0118/9566226), runs an accommodation-booking service; be sure to reserve a room months in advance if you're planning on being here for either festival.
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