West Reading | |
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Oxford Road |
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West Reading shown within Berkshire | |
OS grid reference | SU698732 |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Royal Berkshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
West Reading is a main locality (informal subdivision) of the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire, with its own railway station which opened in 1906, by which time its main roads were an established housing area.
The locality has no formal boundaries, but the name is generally used to refer to the area to the west of Reading's commercial centre, merging into or to the north of the suburbs of Coley and Southcote, to the east of the suburb of Tilehurst and to the south of the Reading to Bristol railway line. As such it includes the relatively densely populated area along and surrounding the Oxford Road as far as the foot of Norcot Hill, which is a typical example of the British town's rows of terraced houses, as well as the more affluent area between this road and the Bath Road and alongside Tilehurst Road as far as Prospect Park and its slopes.
The informal subdivision is in the borough of Reading, comprising Battle ward together with parts or all of Abbey, Minster, Norcot and Southcote wards.
Whereas most of this area is in the Reading West parliamentary constituency, the Abbey ward portion (between the Inner Distribution Road and Prospect Street / George Street) is in the Reading East parliamentary constituency.