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By the end of the 18th century, new industries were growing in Reading. In 1785 Simmonds brewery opened in Broad Street and brewing became a major industry in the 19th century. At the time of the first census in 1801 Reading had a population of just under 10,000. In 1807 John Sutton, a corn and seed merchant founded Suttons Seeds.
Following the Dissolution of Reading Abbey in 1539 and the anti-Catholic legislation that followed, it became illegal to go to Mass. Priests and others helping them could be executed for treason. The laws against Catholicism were called the Penal Laws and those who refused to accept the Church of England and the English monarch as the Head of the Church were known as recusants. By the end of the 18th century, there were very few Catholics in Reading, maybe only 50 or so.
Reading Town Hall consists of four buildings built in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1786 the oldest building – the Victoria Hall – opened as a purpose-built town hall designed by Charles Poulton. A new council chamber and a clock tower designed by Alfred Waterhouse opened in 1876 followed by the Museum, Library and a Concert Hall, designed by the architect Thomas Lanson.
St Mary’s Butts is the name of the road in front of the church. In the Middle Ages, it was compulsory for many farmers in England to learn archery. Hence, an archery butt was established here for practice! St Mary’s church has a full title of Reading Minster of St Mary the Virgin and when the Domesday book was written this was the only church in Reading.
The Royal Berkshire Hospital was opened in 1839 on the London Road on land donated by Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, a local resident and former Prime Minister. The hospital was built by local architect and builder Henry Briant, who won the design competition. King William IV took a keen interest in the hospital before it was built and as a consequence, his arms appear on the central pediment, although he died before the hospital opened. The first patron of the hospital was William’s niece and successor, Queen Victoria.
Reading Prison is a Grade II listed building in the heart of Reading built on the site of part of Reading Abbey. The Gaol enforced the ‘separate system’ which ensured prisoners never saw, nor spoke to anyone. Oscar Wilde was famously imprisoned here between 1895 and 1897. His experiences led him to write The Ballad of Reading Gaol.
St. Laurence is a wonderful twelfth-century church building in Reading. Today the church has a particular vision for young people. Originally, it was a chapel at the gates of Reading Abbey in 1121. A large market sprung up around the church. One road leading to St Laurence’s became known as ‘Market Place’, so Market Place Square is now directly next to the church. The current tower was built in 1458 and contains several fragments of Norman work.
Trooper Frederick William Owen Potts was a Private in the Berkshire Yeomanry during the First World War and fought in the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey. He was born and raised in Reading and was awarded the Victoria Cross in October 1915, after endangering his own life to drag a wounded comrade on a shovel from the battlefield at the Battle of Scimitar.
The Museum of English Rural Life is owned and managed by the University of Reading.
The great collections here explore how the skills and experiences of farmers and craftspeople, past and present, can help shape our lives now and into the future. The museum works alongside rural people, local communities and specialist researchers to create displays and activities that engage with important debates about the future of food and the ongoing relevance of the countryside to all our lives.
This museum tells the story of Reading’s two rivers – the Kennet and the Thames. The Riverside Museum occupies two Listed former waterworks buildings, the Screen House and the Turbine House. The Screen House displays a beautiful gypsy caravan built by Reading firm Dunton and Sons to the ‘Ledge’ design, and a video about gypsy life.