Reading Abbey Ruins
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Reading
What it’s like
Free ruins to wander, a Victorian Bayeux Tapestry copy and a biscuit tin collection all within a two-minute walk of Reading station.
You wander the standing remains of Reading Abbey with information panels dotted around, then head into Reading Museum next door for the bit most people actually came for: Britain's Bayeux Tapestry, a nineteenth-century copy stitched with the same care as the original. There's Roman archaeology from Silchester, a wall of Huntley & Palmers biscuit tins that's oddly hypnotic, and natural history and modern art galleries alongside. None of it costs a penny to get in, which makes it an easy one to slot into a wet afternoon without feeling like you have to make the most of a ticket.
It's step-free throughout, with a lift and ramps to every floor, so a buggy or wheelchair isn't a problem. The gift shop sits behind reception if you want a souvenir, and there's a café on the ground floor of the Town Hall building called The Pantry for drinks and food. Just don't carry any of it into the galleries, food and drink aren't allowed inside the museum itself.
The one thing to watch is the Bayeux Tapestry Gallery specifically. It can close without warning for tours or school sessions, so if seeing it is the whole point of your visit, check the online calendar before you set off. Other galleries occasionally shut for maintenance or booked school groups too, so a morning visit gives you the best odds of everything being open.
Opening hours are tighter than you might expect for somewhere free. Tuesday to Friday it's 10am to 4pm, Saturdays 10am to 5pm, and it's shut Sundays, Mondays and bank holidays, with an exception for half-term Mondays in February and October. The Riverside Museum bit only runs April to September. If you've got a group of ten or more, they want you to book ahead, though everyone else can just turn up.
What’s on here
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Three Blue Badge spaces at building front
- Getting there by bus or train
- Reading train station (mainline and Elizabeth Line) and bus stops, 2 minutes walk away
- Groups of ten or more must book ahead, everyone else can just turn up
- Some galleries close for maintenance or school bookings on any given day
- Jane Austen's old school room is inside the Abbey Gateway, but you can only get inside on a booked summer tour
- Closed between Christmas Eve and 2nd January each year
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
It's free to get in, both the Abbey Ruins and the museum galleries.
Do we need to book?
Not for a normal visit, you can just turn up. Groups of ten or more do need to book ahead.
What are the opening hours?
Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm. It's closed Sundays, Mondays and bank holidays, though it opens on half-term Mondays in February and October.
Is it OK for a buggy or wheelchair?
Yes, there's step-free access throughout with a lift and ramps to every floor, plus accessible toilets.
Can we see the Bayeux Tapestry every time we visit?
Usually, but the gallery sometimes closes for tours or school sessions, so it's not guaranteed on any given day.
Is there anywhere to eat?
The Pantry café on the ground floor of the Town Hall does hot and cold drinks and food, but you can't take food or drink into the museum galleries themselves.
Is there parking nearby?
There are three Blue Badge spaces right at the front, and public car parks at Reading Station and Queen's Road. Reading station itself is only a couple of minutes' walk away, so the train is worth considering.
What about the Riverside Museum?
That part only opens April to September, with slightly longer hours, 10am to 6pm.
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