Members' Visit

Please do not register unless you are a member of Reading Hydro. Each member may book a ticket for themselves and one guest.

Getting there:

The Reading Hydro plant is on a short piece of made-up land between Caversham Weir and View Island in Reading. Your visit hosts will meet you over the wooden bridge on the northernmost point of View Island, where you can see the turbines and the back of the turbine house.

It’s a 10-minute walk from Reading train station which also has stops for several bus routes. If you come by car, there is parking in Hills Meadow car park on the North side of the river Thames, or Kings Meadow car park on the South side.

Accessibility:

Access to the visit start point is easiest for wheelchair users if you park in Hills Meadow car park. If you are coming from the train station go over Reading Bridge (George St) to avoid having to cross Caversham Weir, which has a narrow footpath and steps. On the visit, most of the key parts of the fish pass, turbines and outside of the turbine house can be viewed from accessible tarmac or concrete paths. However, some paths on View Island may not be easily accessible.

Health and safety:

You make this visit at your own risk: risks include falling into the water; slips, trips and falls; and encounters with passing cycles, scooters, runners and dogs. You are not covered by Reading Hydro’s public liability insurance, because you will walk only on public land (owned by Reading Borough Council or the Environment Agency and open to the public 24/7) throughout the visit. The hydro turbines, outside of the turbine house and fish pass can all be viewed from this land. For safety and insurance reasons, we are not allowed to take visitors inside the turbine house. Your visit hosts will explain and point things out to you, but will not tell you what to do. We ask all adult visitors to confirm that they understand this.

Cancellation of your visit:

If you are unable to attend, please cancel your booking as soon as possible so that someone else can have your place. To do this, log into Eventbrite using the email you booked with, and select 'Cancel order'. If Reading Hydro has to cancel the visit (for example, if a volunteer host is ill, or the river conditions are unsafe) we will try to let you know in advance by email.

Agreement:

By registering for this event you have agreed to the following. "I am a member of Reading Hydro. My guest and I are both aged over 18. We have seen the arrangements for this visit, including accessibility, health and safety matters, and possibility of cancellation. We confirm that we are capable of undertaking the visit. We understand that we will walk on public land throughout this visit, and that we are not covered by Reading Hydro’s public liability insurance. Reading Hydro has undertaken a risk assessment of the visit and advised me of risks associated with walking on this land.”