Abbey (Reading ward)

Abbey is an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. The ruins of Reading Abbey lie within the boundaries of the ward, a fact from which it derives its name.

Location

Abbey ward includes the town centre of Reading, together with inner-city areas to the west of the centre on either side of Oxford Road as far as Reading West railway station.

From the north, in a clockwise direction, the ward boundary follows the railway through Reading railway station to the bridge over Vastern Road. From here it follows Forbury Road, King's Road, Queen's Road and the Inner Distribution Road to the Castle Street roundabout. From here it goes up Castle Hill and follows Tilehurst Road, Prospect Street and Oxford Road to Reading West station, from which it follows the railway back to Reading station.

In the same order as above, the ward is bordered by Thames, Redlands, Katesgrove, Coley and Battle wards. It lies entirely within the Reading Central parliamentary constituency.

Profile

Demographics

As of 2024, Abbey ward had an area of 1.582 square kilometres (0.611 sq mi) and there were 12,104 people living there. Of these, 13.5% were under 15 and 4.8% were 65 and over; 52.9% classified themselves as White, 27.7% as Asian, and 8.8% as Black, Caribbean or African; 61.6% were born outside the UK.

The population lived in approximately 4,761 households, of which 79.6% were in a flat, maisonette or apartment, and 20.3% were in a house or bungalow.