Garrard House

Garrard House is in Reading Town Centre, Reading (30 Garrard Street, Reading, United Kingdom), close to Stratfield Saye House.

Prices are set live by the hotel — check the booking page for a real rate for your dates.

Garrard House is a 3-star hotel in Reading.

Yes, Reading Abbey Ruins reopened in 2018 after a major conservation project and are free to visit as part of the Abbey Quarter, open daily from the Forbury Gardens entrance. Henry I was buried in front of the high altar of Reading Abbey in 1136, but the exact spot is under what is now the Ministry of Justice car park next to the ruins — a project has been searching for the grave for several years. Reading Museum next door displays finds from the abbey and is also free. Allow 90 minutes for both.

Reading Town Centre (RG1), specifically the streets between the station and the Oracle, is the best first-time base. You can walk to the Abbey Ruins, Forbury Gardens, Reading Museum and the Kennet and Avon canal in under 15 minutes, and the station gets you to London Paddington in 22 minutes. Friar Street and Castle Street have most of the evening options. Expect to pay £100-160 for a mid-range room midweek.

January is the cheapest, with town centre 4-star rooms often at £70-90 and no major events to drive demand. February is similar but half-term week (usually mid-February) pushes family-friendly hotels up. Avoid the first weekend if Six Nations rugby is on, as Twickenham overflow reaches Reading. November before the Forbury Gardens Christmas market opens is the other quiet window.

Two nights covers Reading itself — the Abbey Quarter, the Oracle, the museum’s Bayeux Tapestry replica and a Thames Path walk from Caversham Bridge to Sonning. Four or five nights makes sense if you want to use Reading as a Thames Valley base for Windsor, Oxford, Henley and Marlow, all reachable by train in under 40 minutes. One night is enough only if you are here for a single event at Rivermead or the festival grounds.

The RailAir coach runs direct from Heathrow Central Bus Station to Reading station every 20 minutes, takes about 60 minutes, and costs around £20-25. A taxi is 40-55 minutes depending on the M4, and priced at £70-90. From late 2024 the Elizabeth line connects Heathrow to Reading with a change at Hayes and Harlington, taking around 90 minutes for roughly £13. The RailAir is still the fastest public option.