Henry Street Garden Centre
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
Reading
What it’s like
A free-to-wander garden centre in Reading with a Christmas trail for kids and a proper restaurant for the grown-ups.
This isn't a big attraction, and that's fine, it's a garden centre you can duck into for an hour without spending a penny to get in. The one bit aimed squarely at kids is "Where's Henry's Teddy?", a Christmas adventure story that turns a wander round the plants and displays into a proper hunt, which is the sort of thing that makes a dull errand feel like an outing.
Outside of that seasonal trail, it's the kind of visit you build round a wander and a meal rather than a list of activities. The restaurant does home-cooked food throughout the day, so it works well as a stop for lunch if you're passing through Reading, and there's a café too if you just want a coffee and a slice of something. Dogs are welcome.
Hours are generous most of the week, 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Saturday, though Sunday opening is a bit later at 10:30am and it shuts earlier too, at 4:30pm. It closes over the big holidays (Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day), and over the Christmas week itself it shuts at 4:30pm rather than the usual 5:30pm.
There's no booking needed and no entry fee. The teddy trail is really the only thing pitched at children specifically, so don't expect a full day out built around them here.
Facilities
Need to know
- Food
- Restaurant serving home-cooked food throughout the day
- Dogs
- Dog friendly
- The teddy trail is a Christmas-season thing, not a year-round activity
- No booking needed, entry is free
- Closed on Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day
- Shorter hours over the Christmas week itself
Plan your visit
Is it free to get in?
Yes, there's no entry charge, you just wander round.
What is there for kids to do?
There's an interactive Christmas trail called Where's Henry's Teddy?, which turns a walk round the centre into a hunt. Outside of that it's more of a browse-and-eat visit than an activity-led one.
What are the opening hours?
9am to 5:30pm Monday to Saturday, 10:30am to 4:30pm on Sunday. It closes at 4:30pm each day between 24th and 31st December.
Is there anywhere to eat?
There's a restaurant serving home-cooked food all day, plus a café if you just want a drink and a snack.
Can we bring the dog?
It's dog friendly, so you don't need to leave the family pet at home.
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