If you have 1 hour
Head to the Abbey Ruins and enjoy the significant standing remains of Reading Abbey. Information panels across the site highlight it's fascinating and tumultuous past. You can download a town trail with a map at the bottom of this page.
If you have 2 hours
Before visiting the Abbey Ruins, visit Reading Museum and learn about the Abbey’s prominent role in the town’s history in the Story of Reading Gallery. See beautiful examples of stonework from this internationally significant site and view Britain's Bayeux Tapestry. Then browse our shop and enjoy refreshments in The Pantry cafe at the Town Hall.
If you have half a day
Explore the history of the whole Abbey Quarter and town centre by picking up a free trail at Reading Museum, download below or via our online map.
If you have a whole day
Discover the rest of the galleries at Reading Museum. Marvel at ‘Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry’ and follow the journey of King Henry I’s father, William the Conqueror. Stroll down to the small Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock (April - October) or see if you can join a guided tour of the Quarter including the Abbey Gateway.
If you have longer visit the fascinating Museum of English Rural Life about a 15 minute walk away.
Find out about events and activities in the Abbey Quarter at Reading What's On
The St James Way is a waymarked long-distance walking trail that retraces the steps of medieval pilgrims from Reading to Southampton and starts in the Abbey Quarter. It is part of the Camino Ingles (English Way) one of the routes of the world-famous Camino de Santiago in north-west Spain. You can find out more on the Visit Reading website or on the Confraternity of Saint James website. You can buy your pilgrim passport from the Reading Museum shop, where you can also get stamped.
Reading Abbey Quarter map
