Reading, Berkshire

Reading is a town and unitary authority in Berkshire in England, at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, halfway between London and Oxford. The district has a population of over 144,000. Reading is probably the most important business centre in South East England and outside Greater London, often referred to as the capital of the Thames Valley with the headquarters of some major British companies and the UK offices of a number of major foreign multinationals. The name Reading is pronounced to rhyme with bedding (in IPA {{IPA|/ˈrɛdɪŋ/}}).

Institutions

Reading Minster, or the Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin as it is more properly known, is Reading's oldest ecclesiastical foundation, known to have been founded by the 9th century and possibly earlier. Although eclipsed in importance by the later Abbey, Reading Minster has regained its importance since the destruction of the Abbey and is now the seat of the Bishop of Reading.

Related Topics:
Reading Minster - 9th century - Bishop of Reading

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Reading Abbey was founded by Henry I in 1121. He was buried there, as were parts of Empress Matilda, William of Poitiers, Constance of York, and Princess Isabella of Cornwall, among others. The abbey was one of the pilgrimage centres of medieval England, it held over 230 relics including the hand of St. James. The abbey was largely destroyed in 1538 during the Dissolution and Henry VIII had the abbot, Hugh Cook Faringdon, hanged.

Related Topics:
Reading Abbey - Henry I - 1121 - Empress Matilda - William of Poitiers - Constance of York - Relic - St. James - 1538 - Dissolution - Henry VIII - Hugh Cook Faringdon - Hanged

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Reading School, founded in 1125, is the tenth oldest school in England. It is based in Victorian buildings designed by Alfred Waterhouse on Erleigh Road.

Related Topics:
Reading School - 1125 - Alfred Waterhouse

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The Reading Borough Public Library service dates back to 1877. The Central Library which was opened in 1985 contains the Reading Local Studies Library which provides books, maps, and illustrations of the history of the town and Berkshire. The Museum of Reading opened in 1883 in the Town Hall, parts of which date back to 1786. The museum has recently been restored and extended, and now contains galleries describing the history of Reading and its related industries, a gallery of artifacts discovered during the excavations of Silchester Roman Town, a copy of the Bayeux Tapestry and an art collection.

Related Topics:
Reading Borough Public Library - 1877 - 1985 - Museum of Reading - 1883 - 1786 - Silchester Roman Town - Bayeux Tapestry

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The University of Reading was established in 1892, affiliated to Oxford University. It was chartered as an independent university in 1926 and moved onto its new Whiteknights campus in 1949. The University runs several museums and botanic gardens in the town, including the Museum of English Rural Life, the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, the Cole Museum of Zoology, and the Harris Garden.

Related Topics:
University of Reading - 1892 - Oxford University - 1926 - 1949 - Museum of English Rural Life - Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology - Cole Museum of Zoology - Harris Garden

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Thames Valley University now runs what was Reading College and school of Art and Design.

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