Reading (RG1)

Reading is a large town in Berkshire, England. The town is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of River Kennet and River Thames. The emergence of this town can be traced back to the medial period. During this period, the town served as the site of Reading Abbey, a monastery with strong royal connections. The English Civil War negatively affected trade in the town and hugely derailed its development. The coming of the Great Western Railway in the 19th Century rejuvenated the town. This development of baking, brewing and seed growing business also led to the development of the town. According to the 2011 census, Reading has a population of 318, 214.

Today Reading is a commercial centre, with involvement in insurance and information technology industries. It is a major commercial centre in Thames Valley and Southern England. The town also hosts headquarters of several British companies. BG Group, Microsoft, ING Direct and Oracle are some of the companies with their headquarters in Reading. There are also business parks as well as retail outlets in Reading. Arlington Business Park and Green Park Business Park are the major business parks in reading. The town was placed 16th by an independent poll on  the best performing retail centers in UK.