The University of Reading’s Whiteknights campus has a beautiful parkland feel situated within a residential area bordering Reading and Wokingham Boroughs. The campus has a number of distinctive areas from the high amenity of the Harris Garden to woodland walks, meadows and a large lake system; its appeal stems from both the natural beauty of the landscape and the University’s architectural diversity.
Whiteknights campus has been described by local people as a ‘green lung’. It provides an environment, changing with the seasons, for visitors of all ages to enjoy and benefit from. Many people take their daily ‘constitutional’ round the lake or take pleasure in a leisurely stroll in the Harris Garden where it is possible to forget the pressures of living and working in an otherwise busy urban area.
The 134 hectares are managed by an expert and committed grounds team. The campus has a variety of habitats which the team manage and expand to support a biodiverse environment of over 2000 recorded species. There is a wide range of tree species represented on site from the newly planted to specimens thought to be over 300 years old.
The University sports facilities provide for a diverse range of sports and are used by University sports clubs and an number of external sports clubs.
The University is rightly proud of its campus which is recognised as an important asset for student recruitment, staff retention and as a valuable green space for the local community.