Swollows House

Swollows House is in Reading Town Centre, Reading (2 Bath Rd, Reading, United Kingdom), close to Windsor Castle.

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

Swollows House is a 4-star hotel in Reading.

Reading works for both, but suits couples slightly better in the centre and families better in Caversham or on the Thames. Caversham Court Gardens, Thames Lido and Beale Wildlife Park in Pangbourne are the family draws; couples tend to prefer the Forbury area, Sonning’s riverside pubs and day trips to Henley. Family rooms are easiest to find at the Novotel, Holiday Inn South and Crowne Plaza. The Reading Festival weekend in late August is not a family event and should be avoided if travelling with children.

The Reading Festival weekend (late August bank holiday) sells out hotels within 10 miles four to six months ahead and rates triple, so book by March. Henley Royal Regatta in the first week of July and Royal Ascot week in June also fill Reading, Wokingham and Maidenhead hotels. Graduation weeks at the University of Reading (usually mid-July) fill the Green Park and Whiteknights-adjacent hotels. Everything else you can book two to four weeks out.

The typical midweek rate for a mid-range 3 to 4-star room in Reading is £95-135, dropping to £75-110 at weekends outside event periods. Budget hotels like the Ibis and Premier Inns sit at £55-85, while the Roseate on the Forbury and Malmaison in the old station building run £170-260. During Reading Festival weekend, expect £280-450 for the same mid-range room. Green Park and Winnersh business hotels drop sharply on Friday and Saturday nights.

Yes, the core between the station, the Oracle, Forbury Gardens and the Abbey Ruins is flat and walkable in 15 minutes end to end. Caversham is a 20-minute walk across Caversham Bridge from the station. Earley, Tilehurst and Lower Earley are not walkable from the centre — allow 15-25 minutes by bus or 10-15 by taxi. The Thames Path from Caversham to Sonning is about 4 miles and takes 90 minutes on foot.

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.