St James RC Church

Reading

Type:Church / Chapel

Forbury Road, READING, Berkshire, RG1 3FD

Tel: 01189574171

St James RC Church, Reading

About

Built between 1836 and 1840 St James Roman Catholic Church was built from designs by A. W Pugin architect of the Palace of Westminster.  The church is located next to Reading Abbey ruins, between Forbury Gardens and Reading Gaol, ​​​​and is home to a modern statue of St James.  The statue is set within a new shrine and features a one scallop shell on St James left shoulder.  The scallop theme continues within a glass medallion in the windows with the figure of St James and a coat of arms with three scallop shells. 

This church is the starting point for the St James Way long-distance walking trail linking Reading, Berkshire to Southampton, Hampshire. You can get your first trail passport stamped here.  The scallop is the symbol of the pilgrims to Santiago and is also the symbol on the waymarker signs along the 68.5 mile route.

 

 

Book Tickets

TripAdvisor

Map & Directions

What's Nearby

  1. Reading Abbey Ruins

    The burial place of King Henry I, Reading Abbey celebrated 900 years of history in 2021.…

    0.05 miles away
  2. Reading Museum

    Explore ten galleries of historic and artistic objects in Reading’s Victorian Town Hall.

    0.2 miles away
  3. Reading Abbey Quarter Tour

    Enjoy a walking tour exploring the heart of medieval Reading led by our Official Reading…

    0.2 miles away
  1. Thames Lido

    Thames Lido is a restored Victorian outdoor swimming pool which now offers a fully heated…

    0.22 miles away
  2. Better Boating Co

    John & Jack Patey welcome you to their family run business, established in 1971.

    0.46 miles away
  3. Caversham Boat Services


    Family business offering a fleet of well maintained traditional cruisers and narrowboats…

    0.52 miles away
  4. Terry’s Reading Walkabouts

    Terry set up his guided walks of Reading to pass on his love of local history and…

    0.58 miles away
  5. Tours2Order

    Tours2order is run by Blue Badge Tourist Guide Graham Horn.  We can offer many different…

    0.59 miles away
  6. Walk Reading

    Looking for things to do in Reading? Discover the hidden gems of our town on an…

    0.6 miles away
  7. Museum of English Rural Life

    The Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL) is England’s most extensive museum dedicated…

    0.68 miles away
  8. Thames Rivercruise Ltd.

    The perfect venue on the Upper Thames.

    0.81 miles away
  9. Ure Museum

    Description:  The Ure Museum holds collections of archaeological material, archives and…

    1.37 miles away
  10. The Mill at Sonning

    Set on the River Thames, the historic Mill at Sonning Theatre has over 40 years of…

    2.49 miles away
  11. Caversham Heath Golf Club

    Nestling on the borders of Berkshire & Oxfordshire, just outside of Reading you’ll find…

    2.86 miles away
  12. Lagoona Park

    A 28 acre multi-activity site with an Aqua Park & Paddle Boards currently on our lake…

    3.02 miles away
  13. The Museum of Berkshire Aviation

    Aircraft, archives, photographs, related aviation items and uniforms housed in an…

    3.58 miles away
Previous Next