Wokingham
Independent-town-centre alternative to Reading — Georgian core, Wednesday market, and 20 minutes to Waterloo.
Wokingham Market Place with the Town Hall clocktower
Why people stay in Wokingham
Wokingham is 7 miles east of Reading and its own thing entirely — a proper market town with a Georgian core around Market Place, a weekly Wednesday market that's been running since 1219, and streets of small independent shops that Reading centre lost 20 years ago. The Town Hall at the top of the square, the parish church of All Saints, and the tangle of alleys around Rose Street give the centre a genuine sense of history. At 9pm the market square is quiet but the pubs — the Broad Street Tavern, the Duke's Head, the Redan — are all lively. It's a town that lives, not a museum.
Stay in Wokingham if you want a market-town base with fast trains to both Reading (11 minutes) and London Waterloo (55 minutes), and if you like independent shops and pubs more than nightclubs. Don’t stay here for tourism sights — there aren’t many. What's overrated: the 'Wokingham beats Reading' talk from smug locals. Reading has more of everything, Wokingham has more atmosphere. Both are true. What's underrated: the Elms Field development and gardens right next to the market, which turned a mediocre car park into a proper town green in 2019.
The Cantley House Hotel on Milton Road ($120-$170) is the local landmark, a proper country house with a decent restaurant. Innkeeper's Lodge at the Broad Street Tavern ($95-$130) puts you right on the market square. Premier Inn Wokingham on Molly Millar's Lane ($90-$120) is the budget option, 15 minutes' walk from the centre. For character, book the Cantley or a room at the Redan; for convenience, book Premier Inn.
What to see
Hotels in Wokingham
Getting around Wokingham
Wokingham Station has 4-6 trains an hour to Reading (11 minutes, $6) and 2-3 an hour to London Waterloo (55 minutes, $18). From Heathrow, RailAir to Reading then swap. Bus 3 links Wokingham to Reading Station every 15 minutes via Winnersh. By car, M4 Junction 10 is 6 minutes north, A329(M) links to Bracknell. Inside Wokingham, the centre is entirely walkable; California Country Park and the fringes need bike or car.
Questions about Wokingham
For some travellers, yes — if you want independent-town character, easier parking, and don’t mind a 15-minute train each way for anything Reading-specific. Bad choice if you’re here for Reading Festival, tech-park work in Reading itself, or heavy urban nightlife.
55 minutes to London Waterloo by direct SWR train, or 15 minutes to Reading then 25 minutes on GWR to Paddington. Total either way is around an hour door-to-door. Faster than many London outer suburbs to central London.
