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Reading is a town in the south of England, in the county of Berkshire. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet. Reading has a population of 144,000, though the population of the Borough of Reading is significantly larger. The settlement of Reading was originally founded in the eight century as 'Readingum', which is thought to be Anglo-Saxon for 'Place of Readda's people'. It was occupied by the Vikings in 831, though had recovered by the time of the Domesday Book to record a population of 600 people. The town saw thousands of pilgrimmages to Reading Abbey in medieval times. By the end of the 16th century, Reading was the largest town in Berkshire, and was home to over 3000 people. The town had grown rich on the cloth trade; and played an important part during the English Civil War, when it changed hands several times. The taxes subsequently levied on the town caused the cloth trade to decline and eventually cease in the town. During the 18th century, an ironworks opened in the town, and Reading became famous for brewing. Reading had always been a market town, however it now was trading goods from a much wider area. The town lay on several turnpike roads between London and Oxford and the West Country, and so trade came into the town. Reading also benefited from increased trade via the rivers Thames and Kennet. A canal was opened, the Kennet and Avon Canal, linking Reading to the Bristol Channel, allowing goods to be transported via barge. In the 19th century, Reading was expanding as a manufacturing town, and with the railway arriving in 1841, the town expanded further as it became a major railway junction, and so by 1900 the population of Reading was 59,000. At this stage, Reading was known for the 'Three Bs' of Beer (India Pale Ale was invented here), Bulbs (Sutton's Seeds) and Biscuits (Huntley and Palmers). Today, Reading is largely a commuter town for London, though it is also home to several large companies as well as a large service industry. The town is still a major railway junction, and lies on the main Great Western Main Line between London and the south west. Lines also connect Reading with Guildford, Gatwick Airport, Birmingham, Basingstoke, Southampton and the South Coast. The station is linked to Heathrow Airport via the express Rail-Air bus. Reading lies on the main A4 'Bath Road' between London and Bath, though most long distance travel occurs on the M4, which closely skirts Reading. Nearby towns to Reading inlcude London, Oxford, Newbury Wokingham, Bracknell, Henley-on-Thames, Pangbourne, Shinfield, Sonning, Sonning Common, Theale, Three Mile Cross, Twyford and Winnersh.
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