Newtown, Reading is a suburb

Suburb

The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

 of Reading, Berkshire

Reading, Berkshire

Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....

, situated in East Reading

East Reading

East Reading is a district of the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.The district has no formal boundaries, but the name is generally used to refer to the area within the borough boundaries to the east of the city centre, to the south of the River Kennet, to the north of Whitley and...

 between the Cemetery Junction and the River Kennet

River Kennet

The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...

. The population is a socially and ethnically
diverse mix of families, professionals and Reading University students.

Geography

The northern boundary is the River Kennet which becomes the Kennet and Avon Canal. The area around the confluence of the River Kennet and the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

 is known as Kennetmouth and is a popular area for recreation. One landmark is the historic Horseshoe Bridge which was formerly used by barge horses but is now a footbridge. Newtown Globe Group

Reading globe groups

Reading globe groups are voluntary groups which were set up in the mid 1990s by Reading Borough Council in Reading, Berkshire, England, following the undertaking of the Agenda 21 agreement by central government. GLOBE stands for Go Local On a Better Environment...

 has adopted a small area of land at Kennetmouth and has erected a seat, an interpretation board and a mosaic

Mosaic

Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...

 depicting the meeting of the rivers. The other, an early Railway Bridge.
At its western edge close to the town centre is the Financial Services company The Prudential where the residential options are modern large apartments and The Orts road Council estate.
The area is the eastern boundary of Reading Borough Council with Wokingham District Council. Residentially, it is composed, at the eastern end, of terraced houses which were originally built for the employees of Huntley and Palmers and Sutton's Seeds and they feature the distinctive polychromatic brickwork where one of the best kept examples is http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=school+terrace+reading&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1T4GGLL_en-GBGB369GB369&tbm=isch&prmd=ivnsm&tbnid=GHY9h4i7YdTNnM:&imgrefurl=http://www.zoopla.co.uk/property-history/15-school-terrace/reading/rg1-3ls/4203162&docid=uh4KpS-FZBr6JM&itg=1&w=354&h=255&ei=W4xmTvCpJoey8QOtmu2OCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=660&vpy=106&dur=3687&hovh=190&hovw=265&tx=88&ty=159&page=1&tbnh=164&tbnw=234&start=0&ndsp=6&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&biw=968&bih=486School Terrace] and the wonderfully Victorian Newtown Primary School.

Community

The area is socially, ethnically and religiously diverse.
It is home to St Johns and St Stephen's Church of England and primary school, Wycliffe Baptist church, Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara and several small Islamic centres.
It has an active community both environmentally (being home to Reading's first Green party Councillor Rob White) and for families with the local children's centre.

External links

• East Reading website
• Reading Green Party
• East Reading Childrens Centres