Union Street, Reading

Name: Union Street
Address: Reading, United Kingdom

#5 among attractions in Reading

Shopping, Shopping district

Gallery (1)

Map

Map

Facts and practical information

Union Street, also known locally as Smelly Alley, is a pedestrian alley in the centre of the English town of Reading. It is lined with small shops and other retail outlets, and connects Broad Street and Friar Street. The name Smelly Alley came about in the 1940s, as there were many butchers and greengrocers, as well as two wet fish shops. In the 1970s there were four butchers, two greengrocers and two wet fish shops; also a baker's shop, two record shops, a hi-fi shop, a shop selling jeans, a cafe, a roast chicken shop, a chocolate shop and a hardware shop. ()

Coordinates: 51°27'24"N, 0°58'25"W

Address

AbbeyReading United Kingdom

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Day trips

Union Street – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Broad Street, Queen Victoria Street, The Oracle, Broad Street Mall.

~370 ftS
Shopping, Shopping district
Broad Street, Reading
2 min walk • Broad Street is a main pedestrianised thoroughfare and the primary high street in the English town of Reading. The street is situated in the town centre, running for approximately 0.25 miles, from west to east.
~340 ftSE
Shopping, Shopping district
Queen Victoria Street, Reading
2 min walk • Queen Victoria Street is a pedestrianised thoroughfare in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. It connects Broad Street with Friar Street and Station Road.
~1150 ftSE
Shopping, Shopping centre
The Oracle, Reading
6 min walk • The Oracle is a large indoor shopping and leisure mall on the banks of the River Kennet in Reading, Berkshire, England. Partly on the site of a 17th-century workhouse of the same name, it was developed and is owned by a joint venture of Hammerson and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
~950 ftSW
Shopping, Shopping centre
Broad Street Mall, Reading
5 min walk • Broad Street Mall, previously known as the Butts Centre, is a large indoor shopping centre located in central Reading, England. There is a large multi-storey car park with direct access to the first floor of the centre. It is close to The Hexagon theatre and the offices of Reading Borough Council.
~640 ftSE
Shopping, Department store
John Lewis, Reading
4 min walk • Heelas is a major department store in Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It was known as Heelas until 2001 and that name is still in common usage. The store fronts on to Reading's main pedestrianised shopping street, Broad Street, and backs onto Minster Street and The Oracle shopping centre.
~1440 ftE
Park, Historical place, Garden
Forbury Gardens, Reading
7 min walk • Forbury Gardens is a public park in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The park is on the site of the outer court of Reading Abbey, which was in front of the Abbey Church. The site was formerly known as the Forbury, and one of the roads flanking the current gardens is still known as The Forbury.
~1930 ftE
Extensive medieval abbey ruins
Reading Abbey, Reading
10 min walk • Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire.
~770 ftS
Shopping, Shopping district
St Mary's Butts, Reading
4 min walk • St Mary's Butts is a thoroughfare in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. On its west side is the Broad Street Mall. It is connected to the north with Broad Street, the pedestrianised primary high street of Reading. St Mary's Church and Butts are where the town of Reading originally grew from.
~50 ftNW
Shopping, Shopping district
Friar Street, Reading
1 min walk • Friar Street is a thoroughfare in the English town of Reading. It runs parallel to Broad Street, connected by Union Street, Queen Victoria Street and Cross Street. At the western end is the Greyfriars Church and at the eastern end are the Town Hall and St Laurence's Church.
~1380 ftE
Monuments and statues
Maiwand Lion, Reading
7 min walk • The Maiwand Lion is a sculpture and war memorial in the Forbury Gardens, a public park in the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire.
~880 ftE
Museum, Specialty museum, Art gallery
Reading Museum, Reading
5 min walk • Reading Museum is a museum of the history of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire, and the surrounding area.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which popular attractions are close to Union Street?

Nearby attractions include Waterstones, Reading (2 min walk), Station Hill, Reading (4 min walk), Greyfriars Church, Reading (4 min walk), Statue of Queen Victoria, Reading (4 min walk).

How to get to Union Street by public transport?

The nearest stations to Union Street:

Bus

Friar Street • Lines: 19a, 19b, 19c, 22 (1 min walk)
Friar Street FN • Lines: 17 (2 min walk)

Train

Reading (5 min walk)
Reading West (20 min walk)