King's Meadow

King's Meadow is a park in Reading, Berkshire, England, located next to the River Thames. It stretches from the Coal Woodland (so-called because it used to be the site of a coal heap [1]) to King's Meadow Road near Reading Bridge. King's Meadow is visible from the railway when entering or leaving Reading railway station from the eastern side. It is currently managed by Reading Borough Council.

For the football stadium in Kingston upon Thames, see Kingsmeadow.
King's Meadow
King's Meadow and new apartments
Location within Reading
TypePublic
LocationReading, Berkshire, UK
Coordinates51°27′36″N 0°57′40″W
Area12 acres (4.9 ha)

History

King's Meadow was a possession of Reading Abbey and became owned by the King after the dissolution of the monasteries. In 1869 the town of Reading purchased 12 acres (4.9 ha) of the meadow as a recreation ground.[2] 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 disused King's Meadow swimming pool, which was built there in 1903. The future of the building is a subject of local controversy.[3]

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 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 supermarket.[4]

Events
Reading Beer Festival

It is the location of several annual events in Reading, such as Reading Pride LGBTA festival and the annual Reading Beer Festival.[5][6]

References
  1. Kings Meadow and the Coal Woodland Archived 2010-08-19 at the Wayback Machine, Reading Borough Council.
  2. Slade, Cecil (2001). The Town of Reading and its Abbey. MRM Associates Ltd. pp. 71–93. ISBN 0-9517719-4-9.
  3. James Burridge, Sink or Swim for Pool, BBC Radio Berkshire, UK, 10 August 2004.
  4. Tesco King's Meadow, Reading, LiveBus.org.
  5. "Reading enjoys 'biggest ever' Pride event". BBC News. 5 September 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  6. "Reading Beer and Cider festival 2011 to last five days". BBC News. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
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