Reading / Surrounding areas?

[Justasmalltowngirll]

We're thinking of moving to this area because of fast links into London Paddington for work but I'd love some insider info! I don't have the best impression of Reading... I lived there about 10 years ago and wasn't a fan, but I lived in a grotty student area and maybe it's changed since then? We also get the impression that Caversham or Twyford are significantly nicer than Reading itself. Would love Henley or Goring but I think that would be more tricky to get into London? Plus £££! We have two young kids so looking for primary and secondary school opinions too. Any areas to avoid? We're looking for a thriving and friendly local community, with a relatively low crime rate (like everyone I guess!!) 😊

I brought my children up in Earley. It comes under Wokingham council so is better for schools than Reading. Lovely older properties 1930s with usually big gardens unlike Lower Earley (which I think other person above was thinking of) which is a modern estate. My children went to Maiden Erlegh (outstanding secondary think it still is) and Reading School (boys grammar, highly competitive). Both schools are fantastic and went on to v. good unis.

It's so hard to say that individual roads are too studenty, because there's such a mix of house types on each road, so there are always young families and professionals mixed in with students. I've attached a map (if the attachment works!) - the area with green scribbles is the East Reading university area - I've marked up the best roads in green - it's quite an expensive area and the roads I've picked are the most expensive ones, but I can see there's a 3 bed for sale on Talfourd currently for £550 (could make an offer?) and £475 on Upper Redlands road. Talfourd is definitely in the catchment for the Wokingham Maiden Erlegh secondary school which is excellent. The other roads near Talfourd are full of nice houses and there's a good community in that area.

There are some roads eg Crescent Road where one end (the Wokingham Rd end) feels a bit scruffy, but move further along and suddenly you have £1.5 mill houses. The whole area is a bit like that (good bits of a road and not so good bits) so it's v hard to say a whole road is good or bad.

The bits in orange - New town is a curious mix, it does feel a bit rough but there are plenty of young professionals and nice families living there too, a lot of artists there as house prices are lower. We moved away from there and it isn't my favourite area but I have friends who still live there and are very happy there. The orange bit to the right of the map are roads that are a bit scruffy but as you go up st peter's road towards church road it gets a bit nicer (probably don't view stuff in that yellow box tbh).

Feel like I want to do the whole of Reading for you like this but not sure I have time!

There are car parking areas and side roads there so I’m guessing you park on those. I don’t know.

Twyford is a great place to live actually. I didn’t make any friends there because I was 23, working in London and wasn’t interested! I’m anti social at the best of times! I imagine it is though. I am part of a cycling group that goes from there called BIA which is nice. I imagine if you have children you’d meet people easily. It has a nice little village centre and it’s really safe. I lived in a flat above a cafe in the centre for a while then on the estate. This was 20 years ago though now!

You’re close to Henley ( where I moved to) and Reading, sonning and Windsor. I have nothing bad to say. I don’t know the secondary schools as my daughter goes to Cranford and you wouldn’t go there from Twyford but I know piggott has a good reputation. The grammar schools in Reading are probably also in catchment.

i would go for Twyford over all of the other areas suggested.

@Justasmalltowngirll Parking : There are a couple of spaces in the square off Waltham Rd but most parking would be in Station Road. There's almost always places somewhere along there for permit holders, a few for non residents and I always see free residents space there. If only 1 car it's OK.
I'd personally avoid Brook Street (there's aVictorian end terrace down there on RM) as it is the cul de sac off Station Road and parking is tricky as the road is very narrow and chances are someone has parked in the turning space at the end (although the residents permit only in the road wasn't in a thing when my friend lived there but I hear only gloom from Brook Street as the disused police station is becoming homes = more parking needed)

The other property you might like is https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/143833556#/?channel=RES_BUY Hurst is a mile or two down the road - a level walk to the station, parking on the road outside, a small village but lots going on there too. If you can stretch I'd prefer this one, a quieter road for traffic so a more rural feel and nearer the pub https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147175571#/?channel=RES_BUY
The primary in Hurst is excellent, but do check if in catchment for Piggott, although others in Wokingham are not an issue all are pretty good.

Also consider Wargrave, the station has a car park, one stop to Twyford, there's some good Victorian houses in Victoria Road with plenty of parking outside on the road, the only downside is uphill to home at night if you walk.

If you can stretch there are often more modern properties with parking in Twyford in walking distance of the station eg https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146154386#/?channel=RES_BUY

Suggest join https://www.facebook.com/groups/310912188982848/ to read up on local issues/what's on, but Twyford has a great community and reasonable facilities being a large village - regular events annual range from beer festival, fete, donkey derby, fireworks, Christmas street fair when they shut the road. You have Tescos and Waitrose. Henley is a train hop short drive away for pretty much everything else (or Reading if you prefer). You can join the swimming club at a local school for £55 per family a year and swim after school and on a Saturday with early morning and evening lane swimming for adults. Lots of sports clubs about for the kids, plus your usual Scouts etc, Good restaurants (La Fontana) pubs and lots of cafes.

This is so helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to do this! We will keep the map on hand while we're on Rightmove. I like the idea of tree-lined Victorian streets 😍 Newtown doesn't sound brilliant so we'll avoid there!

Thank you, this is helpful. Twyford does sound like it could be a really good place for us!

Oooh thanks for the info about Brook street! I saw that house and was thinking of booking a viewing but probably won't now. I think parking might be an issue across twyford if we want a period house. Definitely something to consider. I booked a viewing on the cheaper Hurst property, thank you! The other one is gorgeous but the price would be too much of a stretch as it also doesn't have an upstairs bathroom. But it's like a dream house for me!

@Justasmalltowngirll If you're happy to park in Station Approach for the Waltham Rd house there really isn't an issue on resident parking ( hasn't ever been any issue any time I'm trying to find a non-resident space!).
However do be aware both Waltham Road and the one in Hurst are on quite busy roads - busy for me I live more rurally but might not be busy to you if you're coming from London. It's really tricky to find period + 3 bed + good for station in the area + decent parking, and you're really bottom end of that budget for Twyford.

Your compromise will be either proximity to station and less parking or not having an older style period property (as there aren't so many older properties vs newer in Twyford) and living in a more modern on an estate slightly further away with parking, without increasing budget.

Going back to someone else's post, Talfourd Avenue in Earley might work as you can walk to Earley Station from there, train to Waterloo and tube to Charing Cross quite easily. It is in Maiden Erleigh catchment, residents parking on the road, and a very nice friendly community about the area, used to have a friend lived in the next road up and loved it.

@PersonInBerkshire sorry, another question! The house in Upper Redlands looks beautiful but annoyingly it looks like the closest primary school Redlands doesn't have a very good Ofsted. Do you know if it has a bad reputation locally?

Theale is nice, and you can get the train directly to London from the station. The primary school has a very good reputation. The local library is also lovely. My DDs love it! The nursery there (if relevant) is also Ofsted outstanding (not a fancy building, but the staff are fantastic).

@Justasmalltowngirll oh wow that's surprised me! It always had an excellent reputation, but then my eldest who went to nursery school there has just turned 21! But a neighbour on my road has had her youngest there and he only left last year and she was very happy with it. It was always super competitive and hard to secure a place there. I'm so sad to hear about the Ofsted and wonder what's gone wrong.

It's a strange one! Usually bad Ofsteds aren't as bad as they look if it's about the management team or something, but the report says "children don't get the education they deserve" which is quite an unusually damning assessment! That does sound like a shame if it's gone downhill.

Other schools near Redlands eg Alfred Sutton or earley st peters may have places, Wokingham over provided places a few years ago I don't know about Reading. The main problem with upper Redlands rd is traffic, parking on either side and quite narrow. You really need to walk (not drive) around and get a feel. As I said my preference would always be Earley, leafy streets, mainly drives not parking on street and excellent schools.

If you go to Aborfield, be careful large parts of it are subject to flooding when the river bursts it banks.

We looked at Reading when we first came to Berkshire and rejected it in favour of Newbury.

I would think about how you will be getting to Reading Station. I lived in Reading for 15 years and now live in a surrounding village with a station. Reading rush hour traffic is bad (though this may have changed as more are wfh now). I used to get the bus into the town centre from various suburbs and it always took ages. It might be easier to be close to a connecting train station.

I looked at Redlands 5 plus years ago. I didn't like it at all. Cramped. No green space. I think you are better off out of the town centre (I lived in the town centre for a number of years!).

Dear OP,

After reading your question, it feels like you were talking about my family as we are facing the same questions. I see the thread was active a long time ago but I wanted to ask you what you decided, and where did you move at the end? :)

Thanks

Hi, sorry I've only just seen your post! We ended up moving to a different county, sorry that's not helpful! We did like Twyford a lot but nothing came up in our price range 😊 Best of luck with your search!

@nknikiI can help re areas, as I’m local!