Caversham

Caversham combines the best of all worlds, nestled on the north bank of the River Thames and within walking distance of the bustling Reading town centre and its rail links to London and the rest of the country. Characterful Caversham retains a friendly ‘village’ feel with independent shops, cafes and restaurants, its own library, supermarkets, jewellers and hairdressers. Two road bridges (Caversham Bridge and Reading Bridge) and two footbridges join Caversham to the rest of Reading.

Caversham’s named areas

Caversham extends north of the River Thames to just south of the Chilterns and is made up of Caversham centre, Lower Caversham, Caversham Park Village, Emmer Green Caversham Heights and The Warren named areas. Notable landmarks include Caversham Court, a public park and site of a former country house, Caversham Lakes, and part of the Thames Path national trail.

Lower Caversham is the part of Caversham situated on lower ground to the east of central Caversham, close to the River Thames. It includes residential development Deans Farm which stands on the site of the original farm. Caversham Lock is situated on the south bank of the Thames and is connected to Lower Caversham by a weir which carries a public footpath, popularly known as The Clappers, across the river with direct access to Reading Station. This path also provides access to View Island, now a public park.

Caversham Park Village is the residential area constructed on part of the former grounds of Caversham Park. The village was largely developed during the 1960s, with the construction of 1500 new houses and the supporting road infrastructure, plus schools, shops, leisure facilities and a resident’s association.

Emmer Green is the northernmost suburb of Reading and is bordered by the extensive nature reserve at Clayfield Copse and Blackhouse Woods, and also by the tip of the Chiltern Hills at Hemdean Bottom (commonly known as Bugs Bottom). Milestone Way shops include a Budgens, post office, chemist and a host of takeaway options. LINK TO EMMER GREEN AREA GUIDE

Caversham Heights traditionally refers to that part of Caversham situated on higher ground to the west of central Caversham, straddling the Woodcote Road (A4074) up to the border with South Oxfordshire. The leafy streets are surrounded by sports fields, agricultural fields and woodland, and with house prices among the highest in Reading it’s no surprise that Caversham Heights is Reading's most affluent neighbourhood.

The Warren is a leafy semi-rural lane which runs from St Peter’s Church along the Thames for one and a half miles, as far as Chazey Court Farm. The special character of The Warren includes the open riverbank with houses merging into the dense tree covered Warren Escarpment, giving spectacular views from the Thames promenade.

Schools

There are several excellent local authority primary schools in Caversham including Caversham Primary School, Caversham Park Primary School, The Hill Primary School, St. Anne’s RC Primary School, St. Martin’s RC Primary School, Micklands Primary School, The Heights Primary School and Thameside Primary School. There is one local authority secondary school in Caversham, Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre. Many children from the area also attend the newly opened River Academy just over the river in Reading and Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge School in South Oxfordshire. All Caversham schools have an Ofsted rating of either ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’.

In the independent sector, Queen Anne’s School educates girls between the ages of 11 and 18 while Caversham Prep school is co-ed, taking both boys and girls from ages 3-11.

Transport

The bus routes from Reading to Caversham are 22, 23, 24 and 25. There is also an Arriva bus service from Marlow and High Wycombe to Reading, and a Thames Travel bus service from Wallingford and Oxford to Reading, both of which pass through Caversham.

Sources & Links:

Choose Caversham http://www.choosecaversham.co.uk/
Caversham & District Resident’s Association http://www.cadra.org.uk/historyresources.php
Deans Farm http://deansfarm.org/history
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caversham,_Berkshire