Reading Walks Festival
11-19 May 2024
Welcome to the Reading Walks Festival 2024. We are delighted to share nearly 50 walks with you over the nine days of the festival, bringing alive the stories, heritage and landscapes of Reading and the surrounding countryside through a series of guided walks.
Our emphasis for the Reading Walks Festival is as much about telling the stories of Reading as walking for its own pleasure, so you’ll find that our volunteer guides have lots to share with you along the way. Our walks range from one-hour short walks to a 2-day pilgrimage. The majority of the programme of walks cost just £3.
See What's On Events (for a full list of the walks), FAQs, About Us, Getting There, Accessibility and other links below for full information about the Festival and each walk.
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FAQs
How long are the walks?
The walks are mainly led by volunteer walks leader and range in length from between 1-2 hours to a full day (or two).
The length in Km and time is indicated on each walk description.
There is also a Easy/Medium/Hard rating to help guide you.
Where do the walks go?
Many of our walks are in the Reading urban area. These are generally quite short – an hour or two. However, many others start in the town centre and head out into the countryside.
A few are wholly outside Reading but are easily accessible by public transport from Reading.
What do the walks cost?
The majority of our walks cost £3. This ticket price has been introduced to avoid the issue of people booking lots of walks because they are free and not turning up! A few of our walks are free while others, which are led by professional guides or organisations, have a higher cost, ranging from £7 - £16.
For family friendly walks, children are free when accompanied by a paying adult.
£3 from every walk will be reinvested in the Festival, which is a not-for-profit enterprise.
Who is the festival for?
Everyone is welcome to join a festival walk, and we have prepared an inclusive programme of walks so everyone should be able to find something.
However, please be aware that walk leaders reserve the right to refuse participation (at the start or during the walk) to any walker if they are not suitably attired or in the leader’s opinion feel they would be unable to undertake the whole walk.
Walkers under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult. We have a good selection of family friendly walks and accessible walks. Each walk will specify if it is family friendly or accessible.
Is there a printed programme?
All walks are bookable online only, but to get an overview of the whole programme, you can see a synopsis of all 49 walks through our e-programme. A printed version will be available through Reading libraries, Reading Museum and other outlets from mid March.
Are dogs welcome?
Unfortunately, dogs are not permitted to join any of our walks unless a guide dog, hearing dog or assistance dog.
Are the walks family friendly?
Some of the walks are suitable for children. Please see each walk description to see which are recommended for children. Children are free when accompanied by a paying adult.
Will the walks be cancelled if it rains?
We live in a country with changeable weather. There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes!
The walks will take place in all but the worst weather. You will be notified by the walk's leader if it is to be cancelled.
If you aren’t able to attend, please alert the walks leader so your place can be given to someone on the waiting list.
If I'm running late will the walk wait for me?
We ask that you arrive 10 minutes before the published start time. Walks will start at the published time.
Please notify the walks leader if you are going to be late. They will advise if they are able to wait but they will need to prioritise the rest of the walking group.
What should I wear?
Please dress for the UK in May! It could be lovely, hot or rainy!
Many of the walks are in urban areas so no special walking kit is required. Please do bring water though and a coat!
For longer/countryside walks, please ensure you have suitable footwear/walking boots, rain protection etc - and please note if a packed lunch is required.
Will there be parking available?
Most of our walks are designed to link into the bus and train system so please try and minimise your carbon footprint by using public transport.
Details of how to reach the start/end point of the walk by public transport is given in each walk description.
If parking is available, it will be included in the walk description.
What do I do if I am unwell?
Please do not come if you are feeling unwell - but please do let the walk's leader know if you're no longer able to attend.
If you have any medical conditions, please either alert the walk leader and advise them of any medication you are carrying, or ensure you have this information noted on a piece of paper on your person/in your backpack, so the leader can search for it in an emergency situation.
Your health remains your responsibility at all times. Please be aware that walk leaders are not first aid trained. In the event of an emergency, their role will be to provide basic care and to call in professional help.
Risks & liability
All walkers walk at their own risk and neither Reading Walks Festival nor their walk guides can take responsibility for personal injury or loss or damage to any property.
How do I get in touch?
Once you have booked a walk, you will get an automatic confirmation of your place. Nearer the time, the walks leader will then contact you with his/her contact details and any special instructions for the day.
The Festival organiser, REDA, can be reached at alex.brannen@reading.gov.uk or 07860 779166
Are any of our walks accessible to wheelchair users?
All our walk leaders have assessed whether their walk is accessible, by which we mean the walk features smooth(ish!) pathways with ramps (if there are steps) and wide entrances for individuals with mobility challenges. Accessible walks will be identified in the walk description.
However, we do recommend that you get in touch with us if you have any accessibility queries about a specific walk because access requirements differ from person to person.
Can I get a refund if I can no longer attend?
We are unable to provide refunds if you can no longer attend. In the very unlikely situation that the Festival has to cancel the walk, you will be offered a full refund.
Do I need to bring my ticket with me?
Your walk leader will have a list of everyone who has booked a ticket so you don’t need to bring a print out of your ticket.
Can I just turn up without booking a ticket?
No! There are strict capacities on each walk and the walk leader will not be able accept any more people than the maximum capacity. The walk leader will not be able to accept payment either.
How do I choose a walk that is suitable for my abilities?
Each walk will have a Easy/Medium/Hard indicator as well as the length in KM and hours. This year, there will also be information about what sort of walk each one is:–
- To learn something new - less walking/more talking. More of a tour
- For exercise - a healthy walk with some stopping points of interest. More walking/less talking
- A Social - make new friends while you are walking.
The walk I am interested in is full. Can I still join?
Each walk has a capacity and walk leaders will not accept anymore people than that. For each walk there is a waiting list. If you are unable to join the waiting list in EventBrite, this means the waiting list is also full.
Last year, late places did become available on the walks due to cancellations. If a walk is full, we suggest you check back on the booking website nearer the time to see if any late places have become available.
