Reading Abbey

Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the center of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 for the salvation of his soul and the souls of his family and ancestors. In its time, the abbey was one of the biggest royal monasteries in Europe.

Today, the traditions of the abbey continue at nearby St James's Church, which was partly built using stones from the abbey ruins. A big project called "Reading Abbey Revealed" helped protect the ruins and gateway. They reopened to the public on 16 June 2018, and new exhibits were added at the Reading Museum.

The area around the abbey is called Abbey Ward, named after the abbey itself. Now, HM Prison Reading stands on the site where the abbey once stood.

History

The abbey was founded by King Henry I in 1121. He gave the abbey land in Reading and other places. Monks from Burgundy and Sussex helped set up the abbey, which was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist.

Kings often visited the abbey, and it was an important place for important events. However, in 1538, during the time of King Henry VIII, the abbey was mostly destroyed. The buildings were taken apart, and stones were used for other constructions. Today, St James's Church nearby continues some of the traditions of the abbey.

Abbey ruins

Many walls of the abbey's big buildings still stand today. The only parts left of the Abbey Church are small pieces of the central tower and parts of the areas where people gathered on each side. South of these areas, you can see the remains of places like the room where monks would get ready, a special meeting room, a place for sick monks, and parts of where they slept and washed. The meeting room's ruins are some of the best kept. West of these ruins is a private garden where monks would walk, and south of that is a wall from where they ate together. These ruins are very important and protected.

Over time, the ruins needed repairs, but they were done in different ways, which caused more damage. In 2008, some parts were closed because they were unsafe. Repair work started in 2009 but took longer than expected. In 2010, it was estimated that fixing everything might cost a lot of money. A detailed study was done to see how much work was needed. In 2014, plans were made to create a special area for culture and history. Funding was secured, and work began in 2016. The ruins reopened to visitors in 2018.

Hidden Abbey Project

In 2014, a group of historians started a project called the Hidden Abbey Project. They used special technology to look underground without digging. This helped them find possible places where important people might be buried and other signs of the abbey's history. Some news stories mentioned that these spots were found under a parking lot, but the historians said these spots are in a different place from where King Henry I is thought to be buried.

Other remains

Besides the ruins of Reading Abbey, there are several other parts of the old abbey area that are still around today.

Abbey Gateway

Main article: Abbey Gateway, Reading

The Abbey's Inner Gateway, also called the Abbey Gateway, is next to Reading Crown Court and Forbury Gardens. It is one of only two abbey buildings that still stand completely. The gateway once separated the public area from the monks' private space. It survived because it became the entrance to the abbots' lodging, which later turned into a royal palace. In the late 1700s, it was used as part of the Reading Ladies' Boarding School, where famous writer Jane Austen studied.

Hospitium

Main article: Hospitium of St John the Baptist

The abbey's hospitium, or guest house for travelers, still exists. Known as the Hospitium of St John, it was built in 1189 and could hold up to 400 people. Today, the remaining building stands alone, close to Reading Town Hall and St Laurence's Church.

Abbey Mill and Holy Brook

Main article: Holy Brook

Some parts of the old Abbey Mill can still be seen near the Holy Brook, south of the abbey ruins. The mill used to grind grain until the 1950s. Today, only a small wall with three arches remains. The Holy Brook is a man-made waterway that flows from the River Kennet near Theale, passes by the Abbey, and joins the river again after the mill.

Open-air theatre and performance

The ruins of Reading Abbey have a long history of live performances. In the late 1980s, a group called La Grande Bouche held a fun evening of music, performances, and food under a tent in the ruins.

In 1994, a big event called "From the Ruins" took place to end the "Art in Reading" festival. Many artists and performers from Reading created special music, dance, paintings, and poetry. The evening ended with an amazing show using large puppets and lights, telling the story of Reading Abbey from when it was built until it was closed down.

Since 1995, special outdoor Shakespeare plays have been performed in the ruins by MDM Productions and Progress Theatre, working with Reading Borough Council. These shows moved to different parts of the ruins over the years and became a bigger festival in 2007. Sometimes, the shows had to move to other places, but they returned to the ruins in 2018 after the area was repaired and reopened to visitors.

Abbots

Reading Abbey was led by special leaders called abbots. From the year 1123 until 1539, the abbey had 27 of these abbots who helped guide and care for the place.

Notable burials

Reading Abbey is the resting place of several important historical figures. Some of these include King Henry I, Anne de Beauchamp, 15th Countess of Warwick, Constance of York, Henry fitzGerold, Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall, Warin II fitzGerold, and William of Poitiers. These individuals were significant in the history of England and were honored by being buried in this important place.