Reading's Riverside Pubs: An Evening Walk Between Two Bridges

Starting at Caversham Bridge and the Thames Path

Begin on the north bank at Caversham Bridge, where the Thames Path runs east towards the town centre. The first stretch is the quietest: willows, moored narrowboats and a clear view across to the Reading Rowing Club boathouse. Allow twenty minutes to walk the towpath to Caversham Lock, then cross the footbridge onto the Christchurch Meadows side. Summer evenings here are busy with rowers and dog walkers until about eight; in November the same path is nearly empty by five, so bring a layer and check sunset times before setting out.

The pubs nearest this end of the walk sit on the Caversham side rather than the Reading bank. They trade on river views and large gardens, and on a warm Friday the terraces fill by half six. If you want a table outside facing the water, arrive before six or accept an indoor seat. Midweek in May or September is the sweet spot: light until half eight, no queue at the bar, and the towpath still dry underfoot.

The Kennet, the Oracle and the town-centre stretch

From Christchurch Meadows, cross reading Bridge and drop down to the Kennet, which slips through town below the Oracle shopping centre. The riverside walk here is paved and lit, passing the remains of Reading Abbey's waterfront and the old Huntley and Palmers biscuit works. This is the densest cluster of riverside drinking in Reading: several bars with balconies over the water, plus quieter pubs a street back on Friar Street and King Street. Expect the Oracle-fronting venues to be loudest after seven, with prices to match the location.

My pick for this middle section is a back-street pub rather than a balcony bar. The Kennet-side terraces are pleasant for one drink at golden hour, but the food is standard chain fare and the noise rises sharply once the after-work crowd arrives. Walk two minutes inland instead: you get a proper local with cask ale, a smaller bill, and a short stroll back to the river when you have finished.

Between the two bridges: the final leg

The walk finishes under the railway viaduct at Kennet Mouth, where the Kennet meets the Thames, then turns west along the Thames Path back to Caversham Bridge. The Reading bank here is grass and gravel, passing the Spot, a small park with a cafe and a mooring, and the Thames Side Promenade opposite the prison. The full loop is about three miles and takes two and a half hours with stops. It is flat and pushchair-friendly apart from short gravel patches near Kennet Mouth.

Late evening is the point of this leg. The bridges light up, the rowing club finishes its outings, and the pubs thin out, which means the last drink of the night is usually the quietest. If you are staying in town, the walk back to a hotel near reading Station is fifteen minutes from Caversham Bridge along the IDR underpasses; taxis from the Caversham side are easier to find than from the towpath itself.

Where to stay and what to skip

Base yourself within walking distance of Reading Station if the walk is the point of the trip. Hotels on and around Station Road and Friar Street put you ten minutes from the Kennet and twenty from Caversham Bridge, and they are cheaper on weeknights than the riverside options in Caversham itself. Avoid the hotels clustered on the Oxford Road side of town if you want to walk home after dark; the route back is longer and less pleasant than the town-centre streets.

Skip the obvious: do not plan the walk for a Saturday in December, when the towpath floods and the riverside gardens shut early. Do not bother with the Oracle balcony bars for food, only for the view. And do not try to combine the walk with a trip to Henley or Marlow on the same evening; the train back leaves you too late for the light. Book a town-centre hotel on a Tuesday or Wednesday in late spring and you get the walk at its best.