a municipal and parliamentary borough of England, county of Berks, on the right bank of the Thames, 46 miles W. by N. from London. The river is here crossed by a handsome stone bridge of nineteen arches with four drawbridges, erected in 1809 upon the site of a similar structure. The town is neat, and generally well built, containing a number of elegant buildings, among which are the three churches of St. Leonard's, a fine Norman edifice recently restored; St. Mary's, an ancient structure in the early English style, with an elegant tower; and St. Peter's, a handsome edifice, restored 1769-77, with a tower erected at the expense of Sir W. Blackstone, author of the Commentaries, whose tomb is in the church. There are also places of worship for Independents, Baptists, and Methodists. Only a few portions of the walls of its old castle, which contained a college, now remain. There are no manufactures of any importance, except the making of malt, in which, with corn, flour, coal, &c., some trade is carried on. The town is governed by a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve councillors, and returns one member to parliament. The parliamentary borough, which extends over a considerable area, contained, in 1851, 8064 inhabitants; the municipal borough only 2819.