This seat is larger than its eastern counterpart, covering more territory out to the west, a lot of which is semi rural.
There is much history to the town: the Domesday Book recorded that Reading boasted six mills, five fisheries and a nunnery, whilst in 1121, Henry I founded an abbey here. Furthermore, in the Middle Ages, it was a regular venue when Parliament had to assemble outside London, because of plagues in the capital.
Today, this seat takes in several council estates, including those at Southcote and Whitley, which is on the southern edge of the town. However, further to the west of the town in the Newbury district are the more affluent and rural residential areas. These include Calcot and Theale by the River Kennet and Purley and Pangbourne by the Thames. Pangbourne is home to a Royal Naval College.
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