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Forbury Gardens

Reading's Grade II listed Victorian gardens beside the Abbey Ruins, dominated by the enormous Maiwand Lion monument.

Where
Reading Town Centre
Time needed
45 min visit
Tickets
Free
Free entry
Yes
The Maiwand Lion monument in Forbury Gardens, Reading The Maiwand Lion monument in Forbury Gardens, Reading

What to expect at Forbury Gardens

Forbury Gardens were laid out in 1855 on the site of the Outer Court of Reading Abbey, and restored to their 1861 pattern in 2005. They are the elegant green heart of the town centre — geometric flowerbeds, a Victorian bandstand, mature limes and planes, and one of the largest cast-iron statues in the world, the Maiwand Lion, commemorating 329 men of the Royal Berkshire Regiment killed in the disastrous 1880 battle of Maiwand in Afghanistan. The lion stands 31 feet long and weighs 16 tons; you cannot miss it, and locals meet 'by the lion' as shorthand.

The gardens work as a five-minute stroll or a full lazy hour on a bench with a coffee. Formal beds are planted twice a year and the summer bedding is spectacular. On summer Sunday afternoons the Reading Concert Band plays free open-air concerts on the bandstand. A small kiosk cafe near the north gate sells decent coffee and ice cream. In December the gardens host a small Christmas market and light installation. The abbey ruins wrap around the north and east sides — the two sites function as one visit.

Right in the town centre, six minutes' walk north of Reading Station via Blagrave Street. Free and open all daylight hours. Come at lunchtime on a weekday and you’ll share it with office workers with sandwiches; come Sunday morning and you’ll have it. Combine with the Abbey Ruins, Reading Museum and lunch on King Street for a compact and completely free half-day. Note that a tragic incident in 2020 is commemorated by a discreet memorial on the west path.

Plan your visit TicketsFree Free entryYes Time needed45 min visit WhereReading Town Centre Opening hours Daily 7:30-dusk Bandstand concerts summer Sundays 14:00 Cafe kiosk Mar-Oct 10:00-16:00 Hotels near Forbury Gardens

Questions about Forbury Gardens

Entry cost?

Free at all times.

Free windows?

Always — public park.

How long to visit?

20-45 minutes for a walk-through; longer if you sit for a concert or coffee.

Closed days?

Open every day; gates close at dusk.

Booking?

No booking, walk in from any of four gates.

Nearest station?

Reading, 6 min walk via Blagrave Street.

Where to stay

Hotels near Forbury Gardens

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