20th Century

Timeline

Urban

Georgian

Victorian

20th Century

Horse Trams

Electric Trams

Trolleybuses

Buses

Seven Bridges

High Bridge

Caversham Bridge

Reading Bridge

Street Names

Roads

Twentieth Century Housing

In the period between the two World Wars new housing estates began to be built to provide good quality houses for Reading people. The Council Housing estate off Shinfield road was begun in the 1920’s while the Whitley Estate was started in 1931. At the same time, some of the worst housing in Coley was demolished.

After the war more estates were built. The Southcote estate was begun in 1950, and by 1959 8 storey flats were being built in this estate. The Whitley estate was extended towards Whitley Wood, and in 1960 the Coley estate included some 15 storey flats. In Tilehurst a new road, the Meadway was built, to open up access to the new estates being built. In Earley Maiden Erleigh and Erleigh Court estates were built after the selling off of the estate lands. Nearby the University had bought the Whiteknights estate and had started building in 1954.

The demand for new houses continued, both inside and outside the borough boundaries. Woodley, Lower Earley, Tilehurst and Calcot continued to expand.