Reading’s Abbey, founded in 1121 by King Henry I of England, was huge and wealthy. Throughout its 400-year life the royal Abbey was visited regularly by Kings and Queens, hosted Parliaments and royal weddings and was a famous destination for medieval pilgrims. But Henry VIII ordered its dissolution in 1539 and although the monastic buildings were used for a time as a royal palace, the stone proved useful for, among other things, shoring up the defences of the town during the Civil War. By the 18th century, one of the most impressive Abbeys in England had been reduced to a picturesque ruin.
· Discover how the Abbey and its associated buildings were originally laid out on a promontory between the Thames and Kennet.
· Read features on monastic life, royal burials, and Abbot Hugh Cook Faringdon who was executed.
· Find out about the famous 19th century architects who rejuvenated the Abbey Quarter.
· Learn about the technicalities of the 21st century conservation work.
· Walk the Abbey Quarter using the guide and map to discover the hidden gems history has left behind and find out where some of the Abbey stone has ended up.
This book connects you directly with the past, inspires you to be part of a future that values the Abbey’s legacy, and demonstrates just how important a landmark we still have at the centre of modern Reading.
John Painter retired as a full-time local government officer in 2011, following 28 years working for Reading Borough Council, latterly as the authority's Head of Administration, Monitoring Officer and Returning Officer. A graduate in History and Politics from Warwick University, with a keen interest in local history, he has been actively involved in the Friends of Reading Abbey from 2011, and Secretary since 2013. He is also an active member and Secretary of the Reading Male Voice Choir. His motive in joining the Friends of Reading Abbey was to provide support the Council's efforts to consolidate the Abbey Ruins and get them re-opened to the public by 2021, the 900th anniversary of the Abbey's foundation. He has lived in Reading since 1983, in the same road, close to the University and the Purple 17 bus route. Dr Peter Durrant MBE was County Archivist of Berkshire for 25 years until his retirement in 2014. He read history at Manchester University, where he also did his postgraduate research. He is a founder-member of the Berkshire Record Society and currently serves as the society's General Editor. He is Chairman of the Royal County of Berkshire Churches Trust, and a past President of the Reading Branch of the Historical Association. He was Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of History at Reading University, 1988-2016, and for many years has taught for Oxford University Department of Continuing Education. He is a contributor to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and has published a number of articles in local journals and in the revised edition of the Historical Atlas of Berkshire (2012). He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 2002. He has been Chairman of the Friends of Reading Abbey since 2012.
