« Newbury and Thatcham | Home | Windsor and Eton »
Reading
By admin | July 17, 2008
Reading is a town in Berkshire in the South East of England. Its main attractions are the medieval abbey ruins, the rivers Thames and Kennet, the surrounding Thames Valley countryside, a major shopping center, restaurant and pubs.
There are several possible derivations of the Reading’s name, however the true source is obscured. Reading holds several Royal Charters permitting parliament to be held there during times of plague or rebellion in London.
Reading grew rich through the medieval and Tudor periods thanks to a booming trade in cloth. The siege imposed by parliament on the town during the English Civil War crippled the town’s economy which never recovered. The economy of the town is historically most famous for the ‘3Bs’ of Biscuits (US English:Cookies), Beer and Bulbs (of which only Beer has survived though the brewery is scheduled to close by 2010) however, In recent years Information Technology and insurance have replaced these traditional businesses. As such it isn’t an obvious travel destination in its own right, but if you happen to be here on business there is plenty to see and do.
The Forbury Gardens located in the center of town, have recently been restored to their original Victorian Splendor. The adjoining ruins are the remains of a once powerful Abbey, sacked by Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries.
Reading is also home to the gaol in which Oscar Wilde was imprisoned for homosexuality and where he composed his famous ballad. These days it is mainly a remand prison for young offenders.
Reading is at the heart of an attractive area of the Thames Valley, sitting across the confluence of the Thames and Kennet rivers amid green rolling hills, thatched cottages and pubs. It is surrounded by numerous small towns and villages such as Thatcham, Pangbourne and Streatley, many of great age and beauty. Much of it is now part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with the Cotswolds being easily reachable.
It is a long inhabited and well domesticated area that sits at the junction of several major transport routes, both rail and road. As such, Reading serves as a major hub for commuter traffic into and out of London.
Incidentally describing Reading as a city could raise the odd eye-brow locally. Despite its size and population it is not technically a city. To become a city in the UK you need a royal charter. To gain a charter the town used to have to contain a cathedral and due to Reading having such a large abbey a cathedral was never built there, the law was changed in 1889 however many people still believe this to be the case. Charters are now granted periodically with Reading loosing out, most recently to Newport, Wolverhampton and to the locals most annoyingly to their south coast rivals Brighton and Hove. However none of this has stopped the council pretending, with lots of new signs directing people to the “city centre” and all buses (Reading Buses is owned and operated by Reading Borough council and controls nearly all routes in and around Reading) for a while displayed “City Centre” as their destination, although this has now changed to “central Reading”.
Reading has become more famous recently as the local football team was promoted to the Premier League, in part at least thanks to benefactor, John Madejski, who built the Madejski Stadium located south of the town. This has raised awareness of the town throughout the United Kingdom. The promotion also led to a resurgence in the south of the town with new commercial properties, new housing developments and new superstores such as B&Q and CostCo.
Reading Abbey Ruins & Forbury Gardens.
These beautiful formal gardens were once part of Reading Abbey, and the ruins of the Abbey itself can be found between the park and the river Kennet. The Abbey’s founder and benefactor was Henry I and he was buried in front of the high altar in 1136. The Abbey went on to become one of the most important religious and political centres in England. A few of the Abbey’s buildings still exist intact, including St Laurence’s Church and the Gateway, and the ruins themselves offer a fascinating glimpse of the abbey. Open during daylight hours. Free. The gardens were recently restored to their former glory and reopened Spring 2005.
Museum of Reading
Situated in Reading’s Victorian Town Hall, the museum explores the history of the area, from the Roman city at nearby Silchester through mediaeval Reading and its Abbey to the coming of the railways and Reading’s 3Bs (Biscuits, Beer & Bulbs) economy. Free.
Basildon Park
This beautiful Palladian mansion was built in 1776-83. The interior is notable for its original delicate plaster work and elegant staircase. The early 19th century pleasure grounds are currently being restored, and there are waymarked trails through the parkland. Accessible by road or take the Thames Travel 132 bus from Reading
Mapledurham House and Watermill
Mapledurham is a village with a special charm of it’s own, set in the valley of the River Thames, below the Goring Gap. It’s cottages, church, almshouses and Watermill, with the old brick and flint walls, backed by the Elizabethan mansion and the still older manor house of Mapledurham Gurney, together retain an ancient village pattern which is rare today. The Watermill produces flour for sale, with wheat still ground by the traditional millstones.
Silchester Roman Town
Open every day sunrise-sunset. Known to the Romans as Calleva Atrebatum, Silchester was abandoned after the Roman era which means that much of the archeology remains. All that is left on the surface now are a complete ring of city walls, the amphitheater and an little mediaeval church. Away from the rivers that have dictated the area demographics, Silchester is about as isolated a place as you will find in south-east England; on a spring weekday you are likely to find yourself sharing the ruins only with cows.
Related Posts:
Topics: Berkshire |