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Reading

This thriving commuter town, which took its name from the Saxon chief Reada, is a delightful combination of more than 1000 years of history and a vibrant and modern city. There are Victorian brick buildings nestling beside beautiful medieval churches, famous coaching inns opposite high tech offices, and some of the best shopping in the area. Reading began as a Saxon settlement between the Rivers Thames and Kennet and, as a defensible site, was used by the Danes as a base for their attack on Wessex in the 9th century. The town grew up around its Abbey, which was founded in 1121 by Henry I, the youngest son of William the Conqueror, and it was consecrated by Thomas à Becket in 1164. The abbey went on to become one of the most important religious houses – its relics included a piece of Jesus’ sandal, the tooth of St Luke, and a slice of Moses’ rod. Henry, its great benefactor, was buried in front of the High Altar in 1136.

The atmospheric abbey ruins stand in Forbury Gardens on the banks of the River Kennet; these gardens are also home to the Maiwand Lion, a magnificent statue of a lion that commemorates the men of the Berkshire Regiment who died in the Afghan War of 1879.

Reading boasts several other pieces of distinguished public art, including the Robed Figure by Dame Elizabeth Frink and the Soane Obelisk designed by Sir John Soane, architect of the Bank of England. Adjacent to the abbey ruins is another of Reading’s famous buildings – Reading Gaol where Oscar Wilde was imprisoned and where he wrote De Profundis. His confinement here also inspired the writer to compose the epic Ballad of Reading Gaol whilst staying in Paris in 1898.

Though the town developed during the Middle Ages as a result of a flourishing woollen industry, it was during the 18th century with the coming of both the turnpike roads and the opening of the Kennet and Avon Canal that the town boomed. By the 19th century, Reading was known for its three Bs: beer, bulbs and biscuits. As the trade of the canal and River Thames increased, the movement of corn and malt explains the growth of the brewing trade, and the leaders in the bulb trade were Sutton Seeds, founded here in 1806 but no longer in the town. The world renowned biscuit-making firm of Huntley & Palmer began life here in 1826, when Joseph Huntley founded the firm, to be joined, in 1841, by George Palmer, inventor of the stamping machine.

The Story of Reading, a permanent exhibition at the Museum of Reading in the Town Hall, is the ideal place to gain a full understanding of the history of the town, from the earliest times to the present day. Here, too, can be seen the world’s only
full-size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, made in the 19th century and featuring Edward the Confessor, once Lord of the Royal Manor in Reading, as a central figure. As a contrast to the museum’s displays depicting the life of the town in the 20th century, the Silchester Gallery is devoted to describing the day-to-day life at Calleva Atrebatum, the Roman town of Silchester, using Roman artefacts unearthed there during early excavations. This museum, one of the most go-ahead in the country, has special events and changing exhibitions throughout the year, so every visit will reveal something new and exciting to see.

In 1925 Reading Extension College became a university in its own right. Lying to the south of the town centre in Redlands Road, the Museum of English Rural Life (see panel below) houses the most comprehensive national collection of objects, books, photographs and archives relating to the history of food, farming and the countryside. Call 0118 378 8660.