Reading's Jane Austen 250 showcases at Excursions 2025

23rd January 2025

Visit Reading will be attending the Excursions Group Travel Show at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 1 February to showcase Reading’s 2025/26 offer to Group Travel Organisers with this year’s Jane Austen anniversary high on the agenda.

You will find Visit Reading launching its new Group Travel Guide on stand 102 in the South-East section of the show, along with local partners The Mill at Sonning and Thames River Cruise.

Jane Austen in Reading 2025

The author Jane Austen went to school in Reading and for the 250^th anniversary of the author’s birth in 2025 Reading’s 2025 group offer will include tours of her former school room in the medieval Abbey Gateway, was well as walking tours, special events, a Jane Austen Afternoon Tea at the Roseate Hotel, visits to the Pride and Prejudice film location at Basildon Park and a world theatrical premiere of an inspired sequel to Pride and prejudice at the Mill at Sonning. More>>>

More about the partners on the Visit Reading stand 102:-

The Mill at Sonning

Set majestically on the banks of the River Thames, the Mill at Sonning Theatre now celebrates more than 40 years of entertainment. Uniquely, as the only dinner theatre in the United Kingdom, it has gained unrivalled praise both nationally and internationally. Death Comes to Pemberley is the world theatrical premiere of an inspired sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and is based on the best-selling novel by P.D. James. Pemberley was of course home to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The wonderful historic Mill at Sonning premieres Death Comes to Pemberley from 1 May – 28 June and has a great offer for groups.

Thames River Cruise

The family-owned river boat company based at Caversham Pier celebrated 50 years of cruising in 2024.  Thames River Cruise can accommodate groups of all sizes on scheduled cruises or private bookings. Cruises range from short circular cruises along the Thames to Cream Tea on the Thames, cruise to the home of the Henley Royal Regatta, Day out to Goring and Streatley or a cruise of Willows Country.  New for 2025, a delightful afternoon out on the upper Thames: a two-hour Round Cruise (3 Hour Cruise Also Available) with light lunch served onboard.

Visit Reading Group Travel Guide 2025

The new Group Travel Guide for Reading features Jane Austen 250 itinerary ideas as well as a sample itinerary for museum and river trip visit. Reading Museum offers group visits to see the British Bayeux Tapestry, Reading Abbey Quarter and the Huntley and Palmer Galleries, while The MERL (Museum of English Rural Life) has group visits to its galleries which showcase the story of food, farming and the countryside in the UK. Reading also offers guided tours of the town centre with Walk Reading, Terry’s Reading Walkabouts or Blue Badge Guide Tours2Order.

The guide also includes a useful list of contacts for GTOs at Reading hotels and attractions as well as travel and coach parking information.

The Reading 2025 Groups Guide is also available online www.visitreading.com/traveltrade