King's Meadow is a park in

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, located next to the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

. It stretches from the Coal Woodland (so-called because it used to be the site of a coal heap ) to King's Meadow Road near

Reading Bridge Reading Bridge is a road bridge over the River Thames at Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The bridge links the centre of Reading on the south bank with the Lower Caversham area of the cross-river suburb, and former village, of Cave ...

. The Thames Path long distance footpath runs through the length of King's Meadow, which is visible from the railway when entering or leaving Reading railway station from the eastern side. King's Meadow forms part of a series of riverside open spaces, managed by Reading Borough Council, that stretch along one or other side of the River Thames throughout its passage through Reading. From west to east these are

Thameside Promenade Thameside Promenade, or Thames Side Promenade, is a public park and promenade in Reading, Berkshire, England, located next to the River Thames. It stretches along the south (Reading) side of the river, to the west of Caversham Bridge, and forms ...

Caversham Court Caversham Court is a public garden and was a mansion located on the north bank of the River Thames in Caversham, a suburb of Reading in the English county of Berkshire (formerly in Oxfordshire). The park lies within the St Peter's conservation ...

, Christchurch Meadows,

Hills Meadow Hills Meadow is a park in Reading, Berkshire, England, located next to the River Thames. It stretches along the north ( Caversham) side of the river, to the east of Reading Bridge. It is linked to the south (Reading) bank by a footpath, locally ...

View Island View Island is a small island near Caversham Lock, on the River Thames at Reading, Berkshire in England.Reading Abbey and became owned by the King after the dissolution of the monasteries. In 1869 the town of Reading purchased of the meadow as a recreation ground. This area has long been used as the site of a variety of public events such as Reading market, a race course, Reading shows and fairs. It is also the location of the once disused

King's Meadow swimming pool The Thames Lido, formerly known as the King's Meadow swimming pool , is an open-air swimming pool or lido located in King's Meadow in Reading, Berkshire. It was first opened to the public in 1903 as the Ladies Swimming Bath and is believed to ...

, which was built there in 1903. The future of the building was a subject of local controversy until 2015 when Reading Borough Council approved a renovation project to turn it into the

Thames Lido The Thames Lido, formerly known as the King's Meadow swimming pool , is an open-air swimming pool or lido located in King's Meadow in Reading, Berkshire. It was first opened to the public in 1903 as the Ladies Swimming Bath and is believed to ...

. The restoration was completed in 2017; as well as reopening the pool, there is a restaurant, small spa and private dining facilities..

Features

The park's landscape is open fields of short grass right up to the river bank, with some perimeter trees and an avenue from Napier Road. It is a popular picnic site with groups of mature trees. The park is prone to flooding, but there are playing fields used by the public and football clubs throughout the year. There is a pleasant walk along the towpath up to Reading Bridge and

Caversham Lock Caversham Lock is a lock and main weir on the River Thames in England at Reading, Berkshire. Both the lock and main weir are connected to De Bohun Island (colloquially known as Lock Island). The Thames Navigation Commissioners built the ori ...

is at the eastern end. It is also a popular spot for mooring and fishing. To the east of the park is a large

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...

supermarket.

Events

It is the location of several annual events in Reading, such as Reading Pride LGBTA festival and the annual

Reading Beer Festival Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling) ...

References

External links

Page on Kings Meadow and the Coal Woodland from Reading Borough Council
Parks and open spaces in Reading, Berkshire Water-meadows Meadows in Berkshire {{Berkshire-geo-stub