Reading is surrounded by a stunning Royal Berkshire countryside and a very energetic atmosphere. Here you will encounter bustling shopping centres and lively bars, as well as independent and craft stores in the nearby streets and it's also the site of one of the biggest and longest running music festivals in the UK - The Reading Festival. This a great place for shopping but also of fascinating heritage. As well as the town where Oscar Wilde wrote his famous Ballad of Reading Gaol, Reading has a 12th Century ruined Abbey, and even a huge replica of the Bayeux Tapestry.