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Tilehurst

Hilly west Reading suburb with its own train station, big Victorian houses, and quick trains to Paddington.

From
$113
Hotels
4
Known for
WEST SUBURB
Part of
Inner Reading
Nearby
3
Tilehurst high street with St Michael's Church tower behind Tilehurst high street with St Michael's Church tower behind

Why people stay in Tilehurst

Tilehurst climbs the hill west of central Reading, and it climbs steeply — School Road is genuinely hard work with luggage. The centre is around the Triangle where Corwen Road, School Road and Recreation Road meet, with a Co-op, a couple of pubs (the Bear, the Butcher's Arms) and not much else after 9pm. This is a residential neighbourhood, not a destination. But it has a secret weapon: Tilehurst Station, on the Paddington line, means you can be in London in 45 minutes without touching Reading Station.

Stay here if you’re visiting family, you’re on a longer work stint at a west-Reading office, or you got priced out of the centre during festival week. Don’t stay here if you want to walk to dinner — the good restaurants are all a bus ride away. What's overrated: pretending Tilehurst is 'near the Thames'. It is, technically, but the towpath is a 20-minute walk downhill through the Norcot estate and you’ll have to reverse-climb on the way back.

Options are limited — the Roseate Reading (formerly the Elephant) on Kentwood Hill sits around $105-$140 and is the most characterful pick. Otherwise it's Airbnb terraced houses on Recreation Road or Kentwood, $80-$110. Avoid anything advertising 'Tilehurst' that's actually up on Norcot or Little Heath — those are further out again and bus-dependent. If you’re driving, parking is easy, unlike central Reading.

At a glance Cheapest room$113 Hotels tracked4 Guides3 Free cancellationMost rooms are free to cancel Hotels in Tilehurst

What to see

Places to visit Watch the Thames from Scours Lane
Places to visit Pint at the Bear on the Triangle
Places to visit Prospect Park picnic
Places to visit Take the train to Pangbourne
Walks & outdoors Tilehurst to Prospect Park (3.5 km)
Eat & go out Watch the Thames from Scours Lane
Eat & go out Prospect Park picnic
Where to stay

Hotels in Tilehurst

4 · Live prices · free cancellation

Getting around Tilehurst

Part of

Tilehurst Station is on the GWR Paddington line — 55 minutes to central London, 5 minutes to Reading Station. Bus 17 runs every 10 minutes between Tilehurst and central Reading (25 minutes). From Heathrow, either RailAir to Reading and swap to the 17, or GWR via Paddington. Inside the area, walking is fine on the flat bits — bring good shoes for the hill.

Questions about Tilehurst

Is it worth staying in Tilehurst instead of Reading centre?

Only if the centre is fully booked or you want quiet. You save maybe $20 a night, but you’ll spend it back on taxis for evenings out. If you have a car and it's a work trip, Tilehurst parking makes life easier.

How do I get from Tilehurst to Reading Festival?

Bus 17 runs to central Reading then walk over Caversham Bridge — 40 minutes total. Or Tilehurst Station to Reading Station then walk. Ubers during festival weekend are painful — surge to $30 for a 3-mile trip.