Reading is a major town and borough in the English county of Berkshire. It was an important centre in the medieval period, as the site of Reading Abbey, a monastery with strong royal connections. The 19th century saw baking and seed growing businesses in the town grow and prosper, while today it continues to be a major commercial centre within South East England.
As a major regional centre with a population of 236,625, it is second to Swindon, but still has its own identity and council. The town is close to the M4 motorway and a junction on the M3 motorway, which connects London and Southampton to the west.
Reading is also home to the UK headquarters of several large organisations and companies including FTSE 100 company Legal & General, property services firm Colliers International, engineering firm Arup Group and publishing company Informa.
It is one of the fastest-growing towns in Britain, with a boom driven by property development on formerly agricultural land. As a result, Reading has been nicknamed “The Town that Refused to Die”.
Today Reading’s major local industries include information technology (IT), insurance and financial services, although it has been known for centuries as “The Book Town”. The town is home to the University of Reading, which dates back to 1892 when it was established as an extension college by John Morley, then Vice Chancellor of Oxford University. It gained full university status in 2005 through an amendment to its Royal Charter.
Coworking Spaces in Reading
Coworking spaces are becoming popular in Reading as more people choose to work remotely or start their own business. They’re also perfect for students looking for co-working opportunities nearby their university or college.
Reading is home to a number of coworking spaces. These are social places where entrepreneurs and freelancers can work together for mutual benefit. Some are more formal than others, with fixed membership fees, while others are more informal with no set fee structure.
Coworking spaces in the town come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small offices with a handful of desks and tables, while others are large, open-plan rooms with dozens of desks. Some offer hot desks and others have permanent desks available for rent. All coworking spaces usually provide free WiFi access, printing facilities and photocopying services.
Coworking spaces can be found throughout the city centre and surrounding areas such as Caversham, Earley, Winnersh (where there are three co-working spaces) and Whitley Wood (where there is one).
If you’re one of the many people looking for an affordable place to work in Reading, then contact us today for more information.