History

Timeline

Urban

Georgian

Victorian

20th Century

Horse Trams

Electric Trams

Trolleybuses

Buses

Seven Bridges

High Bridge

Caversham Bridge

Reading Bridge

Street Names

Roads

Urban Development

This section details the how Reading developed as a town. The town started to expand in Georgian times, in the east along the King's and Queen's Roads, and in the west along the Oxford Road. This was followed by the massive growth in Victorian times, Newtown, Redlands and further along the Oxford Road. In the twentieth century, this was followed by the Council estates in the south and spreading towards Tilehurst.

As houses were built further from the centre, it took too much time to walk to the town centre. Trams, trolleybuses and finally bus networks were set up to allow people to reach other parts of Reading more easily. The road network was improved, and the bridges across the Thames: Caversham Bridge and Reading Bridge were improved. In the old centre of the town, the two main bridges at Bridge Street and High Bridge were joined by other bridges across the town's river.

This section also includes some notes on the origins of street names.