Postcode area guide

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RG postcode area

Explore the Reading postcode area with maps, quick facts, towns, delivery offices, neighbouring areas and postcode district coverage.

The RG area code stands for r and g in <strong>R</strong>eadin<strong>G</strong>.

View map Quick facts Post towns & districts Towns & villages
RG1 RG10 RG12 RG14 RG17 RG18 RG19 RG2 RG20 RG21 RG22 RG23

Map of the RG postcode area

Use the interactive map to explore the area boundary and neighbouring postcode areas.

Overview

The RG Postcode Area

The RG postcode area covers a large part of southern England centred on the town of Reading. Around 70% of the area lies within Berkshire, with just over 20% in Hampshire, and the remainder extending into Oxfordshire.

The region is largely rural, characterised by river valleys, farmland and market towns, alongside several significant urban centres. These include Reading, Newbury, Bracknell, Wokingham and Basingstoke. Other notable towns include Henley-on-Thames, Hungerford, Whitchurch and Tadley, the latter located close to the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston.

The landscape of the RG area is strongly shaped by its waterways. The River Thames flows through the northern part of the area, giving rise to the name Thames Valley, while other important rivers include the Kennet, Lambourn and the River Test. Two historic canals also pass through the area: the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Basingstoke Canal.

The area also includes chalk downland landscapes which inspired Richard Adams’ novel Watership Down. Watership Down is a real place near the village of Kingsclere, and many of the locations in the story are based on real places in the surrounding countryside.

Reading serves as the principal town and regional hub. In the medieval period it was home to Reading Abbey, founded by Henry I in 1121, the ruins of which remain close to the town centre. The town later developed as an important industrial centre, most notably through Huntley & Palmers, whose biscuit factory was once among the largest in the world. Today, Reading functions as a major retail and transport centre, with one of the busiest railway stations in southern England outside London.

The area includes several nationally significant landmarks. Highclere Castle, near Newbury, is internationally known as the filming location for Downton Abbey and as the historic seat of the Earls of Carnarvon, including George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who co-funded the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. Near Silchester lie the extensive remains of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in Britain.

To the south of the area lies RAF Odiham, near the village of Odiham, internationally recognised as the home of the Royal Air Force’s Chinook helicopter fleet.

The RG postcode area covers Reading and nearby parts of South East England.

The postcode area borders the following neighbouring postcode areas: GU - Guildford, SN - Swindon, SO - Southampton, SP - Salisbury, OX - Oxford, SL - Slough and HP - Hemel Hempstead and is located inland.

The postcode area falls within the following counties: Berkshire (69.99%), Hampshire (22.40%), Oxfordshire (6.91%), Buckinghamshire (0.56%), Wiltshire (0.14%).

Map of the RG Postcode Area

Map of The RG Postcode
Terrain Map of the RG Reading Postcode.
Detailed map of RG Reading Postcode Area
Detailed map showing districts and posttowns in the RG Area

Quick facts

Width east to west40.18 mi
Height north to south33.63 mi
Area750.72 mi²
Maximum width40.65 mi
Perimeter181.61 mi
Postcode districts30
Postcode sectors143
Post towns12
Postcodes23,295
Population778,677

The RG postcode area has a population of 778,677 and covers 1,944,376 hectares. Roughly 1.20% of the population of Great Britain lives here.

Post towns and postcode districts

READING
RG1 BerkshireRG2 BerkshireRG4 Berkshire (79%), Oxfordshire (20%)RG5 BerkshireRG6 BerkshireRG7 Berkshire (91%), Hampshire (8%)RG8 Berkshire (51%), Oxfordshire (48%)RG10 BerkshireRG30 BerkshireRG31 Berkshire
HENLEY-ON-THAMES
RG9 Berkshire (4%), Buckinghamshire (11%), Oxfordshire (83%)
BRACKNELL
RG12 BerkshireRG42 Berkshire
NEWBURY
RG14 BerkshireRG20 Berkshire (54%), Hampshire (45%)
HUNGERFORD
RG17 Berkshire (94%), Wiltshire (5%)
THATCHAM
RG18 BerkshireRG19 Berkshire (88%), Hampshire (11%)
BASINGSTOKE
RG21 HampshireRG22 HampshireRG23 HampshireRG24 HampshireRG25 Hampshire
TADLEY
RG26 Berkshire (6%), Hampshire (93%)
HOOK
RG27 Berkshire (1%), Hampshire (98%)RG29 Hampshire
WHITCHURCH
RG28 Hampshire
WOKINGHAM
RG40 BerkshireRG41 Berkshire
CROWTHORNE
RG45 Berkshire

Where is the RG postcode area?

Location map for the RG postcode area
Location map of the postcode area.
Word cloud for the RG postcode area
Word cloud of place names within the area.

How built up is the postcode area?

This compares building footprint coverage against the total land area across each postcode district. The least urban district is RG25 and the most urban is RG1.

Postcode district Total area (m²) Footprint area (m²) Built percentage
RG25 148,665,789 814,703 0.55%
RG28 75,465,638 411,725 0.55%
RG20 264,103,861 1,774,308 0.67%
RG17 188,797,848 1,316,153 0.70%
RG9 158,103,059 1,825,416 1.15%
RG29 49,908,485 586,025 1.17%
RG8 113,038,843 1,438,352 1.27%
RG27 119,391,007 1,716,987 1.44%
RG7 189,363,349 2,846,011 1.50%
RG26 88,483,921 1,372,621 1.55%
RG18 69,662,162 1,093,703 1.57%
RG23 32,701,254 643,300 1.97%
RG10 57,611,545 1,237,007 2.15%
RG19 36,246,601 1,125,574 3.11%
RG4 51,377,247 1,857,022 3.61%
RG42 33,816,592 1,409,991 4.17%
RG40 44,142,659 1,863,304 4.22%
RG24 32,571,632 1,770,199 5.43%
RG45 11,296,590 818,891 7.25%
RG30 23,164,454 1,681,441 7.26%
RG14 28,816,940 2,160,217 7.50%
RG2 28,066,570 2,317,778 8.26%
RG41 18,832,287 1,668,851 8.86%
RG12 22,932,180 2,306,145 10.06%
RG31 10,184,471 1,157,954 11.37%
RG5 8,071,600 1,072,716 13.29%
RG22 11,914,233 1,684,578 14.14%
RG6 10,949,548 1,619,730 14.79%
RG21 8,126,349 1,399,591 17.22%
RG1 8,565,201 1,697,033 19.81%
Total 1,944,371,915 44,687,326 2.30%
Map of the RG postcode area
Boundary map showing RG in relation to neighbouring areas.
Map of post towns in the RG postal area
Post towns within the RG postal area.
Map of the RG Reading postcode area
Map of Reading Postcode Area RG
Map showing modern RG postcode districts for the RG Postcode Area.

How the RG Postcode area was numbered

The RG Reading postcode was originally created out of a trio of towns. Reading is the main town and where the first and last letter of the area code comes from. Newbury and Basingstoke were the two significant postal towns that were intended to share the limelight with Reading. Both are well connected to the hub of Reading by road and rail.

Looking at a map of the postcode area today, it looks confusing and difficult to see a logical order. Once you apply the original numbering of districts as seen before 1995, it begins to make sense.

Why is there no RG3 district?

RG3 used to be the district for West Reading and Tilehurst. It was split and renamed RG30 and RG31.

Original Districts

Reading

  1. Reading
  2. Whitley, Shinfield and Arborfield Green
  3. Tilehurst and West Reading (now RG30 and RG31)
  4. Caversham, Sonning and Sonning Common
  5. Woodley
  6. Earley and Lower Earley
  7. Aldermaston, Mortimer, Silchester, Spencers Wood and Swallowfield
  8. Goring on Thames, Pangbourne
  9. Henley on Thames
  10. Twyford
  11. Wokingham, Winnersh, Finchampstead, Crowthorne (now RG40, RG41, and RG45)
  12. Bracknell (Part Split to create RG42)

In addition to Reading, there are post towns of Henley on Thames, Wokingham, Bracknell, and Crowthorne.

Newbury

  1. Newbury
  2. Hungerford (now RG17)
  3. Thatcham (now RG18 and RG19)
  4. Hermitage and Cold Ash
  5. Greenham Common and Ashford Hill
  6. Compton, Woolton Hill, Highclere, Burghclere and Kingsclere

New post towns of Hungerford and Thatcham were created to the east and west of the Newbury area.

Basingstoke

  1. Basingstoke
  2. South Ham, Brighton Hill, Hatch Warren, Kempshott and Buckskin
  3. Oakley, Winklebury and Wootton St Lawrence
  4. Popley, Chineham, Rooksdown, Sherborne St John, Lychpit and Old Basing
  5. Overton, North Waltham, Dummer, Preston Candover, Ellisfield, Cliddesden, Upton Grey, Weston Patrick and Mapledurwell
  6. Tadley, Hannington and Bramley
  7. Hook, Hartley Wintney, Sherfield on Loddon, Sherfield Park, Mattingley and Rotherwick
  8. Whitchurch and Hurstbourne Priors
  9. Odiham, RAF Odiham, North Warnborough, South Warnborough and Long Sutton

The numbering in the Basingstoke Area remains intact however new post towns of Tadley and Hook were formed in areas with expanding populations.

RG Reading Postcode Original Numbering

Map of RG Reading Postcode with Original Numbering

Area measurements

Hectares1,944,376
Square miles7,507.27
Square feet209,290,688,264.00
Square kilometres19,443.76

Postal delivery offices

  • Basingstoke Delivery Office
  • Bracknell Delivery Office
  • Checken Delivery Office N Scale Payment Delivery Office
  • Compton Scale Payment Delivery Office
  • Crowthorne Delivery Office
  • East Reading Delivery Office
  • Goring Delivery Office
  • Henley On Thames Delivery Office
  • Hook Delivery Office
  • Hungerford Delivery Office
  • Kingsclere Scale Payment Delivery Office
  • Lambourn Scale Payment Delivery Office
  • Newbury Delivery Office
  • Pangbourne Delivery Office
  • Reading Delivery Office
  • Southend (reading) Scale Payment Delivery Office
  • Tadley Delivery Office
  • Thatcham Delivery Office
  • West Reading Delivery Office
  • Whitchurch (rg) Delivery Office
  • Wokingham Delivery Office

Tourist attractions within the area

We found 11 visitor attractions within the Reading postcode area.

Ashdown House
Historic Properties
Historic House / House and Garden / Palace
View on Google Maps
The Rose of Hungerford
Historic Properties
Other Historic / Scenic Transport Operator
View on Google Maps
Sandham Memorial Chapel
Places of Worship
Place of Worship (still in use)
View on Google Maps
The Nature Discovery Centre
Wildlife
Nature Reserve / Wetlands / Wildlife Trips
View on Google Maps
Basildon Park
Historic Properties
Historic House / House and Garden / Palace
View on Google Maps
The Vyne
Historic Properties
Historic House / House and Garden / Palace
View on Google Maps
Nuffield Place
Historic Properties
Historic House / House and Garden / Palace
View on Google Maps
Greys Court
Historic Properties
Historic House / House and Garden / Palace
View on Google Maps
West Green House Garden
Gardens
Garden
View on Google Maps
Galleon Marine
Leisure / Theme Parks
Leisure / Theme Park
View on Google Maps
Go Ape! Tree Top Adventure - Bracknell
Country Parks
Country Park
View on Google Maps

Nearby postcode areas

GU SN SO SP OX SL HP

Neighbouring context

The postcode area borders the following neighbouring postcode areas: GU - Guildford, SN - Swindon, SO - Southampton, SP - Salisbury, OX - Oxford, SL - Slough and HP - Hemel Hempstead and is located inland.

Towns and villages within the area

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