Podcast
Questions and Answers
The Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens is the unofficial symbol of ______.
The Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens is the unofficial symbol of ______.
Reading
The history of Reading will always include the famous ______.
The history of Reading will always include the famous ______.
Lion
The Abbey was founded by ______ I in 1121.
The Abbey was founded by ______ I in 1121.
Henry
In 1525, ______ was the largest town in Berkshire.
In 1525, ______ was the largest town in Berkshire.
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The Oracle was one of the earliest ______ built in the country.
The Oracle was one of the earliest ______ built in the country.
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The current Reading prison was built to a design by ______ Gilbert Scott in 1844.
The current Reading prison was built to a design by ______ Gilbert Scott in 1844.
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The most famous inmate of Her Majesty’s Reading Prison was ______ Wilde.
The most famous inmate of Her Majesty’s Reading Prison was ______ Wilde.
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The Black Death swept through England decimating the population during the ______ century.
The Black Death swept through England decimating the population during the ______ century.
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Study Notes
History of Reading
- The Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens commemorates the fallen men of the 66th Berkshire Regiment at the Battle of Maiwand in 1880.
- The Domesday Book records Reading as a small town until the founding of the Abbey in 1121, which brought prosperity through the Wool Trade.
- The Abbey was founded by Henry I, who is buried within the Abbey grounds, but was largely destroyed in 1538 during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries.
14th-17th Centuries
- The Black Death swept through England in the 14th century, decimating the population.
- By 1525, Reading was the largest town in Berkshire, and by 1611, the population had increased to over 5,000 people, driven by the cloth trade.
The Oracle and Reading Prison
- The Oracle was one of the earliest workhouses built in the country (1628) and produced cloth.
- The current Reading Prison was built in 1844, designed by George Gilbert Scott, and was a site for executions until 1913.
- There was an earlier gaol in Castle Street, in use from the Stuart period, where prisoners were chained in underground dungeons.
Notable Inmates and Landmarks
- Oscar Wilde was imprisoned in Reading Prison in 1895 and released in May 1897.
- The George on Kings Street dates back to 1423 and is one of the oldest buildings in Reading town centre.
- The Sun Inn in Castle Street dates back to the 13th century and features a Norman arch leading to a former underground hall that could accommodate up to fifty horses.
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Description
Explore the history of Reading, a town in England, from its early days to its prosperity driven by the Wool Trade and the founding of the Abbey.
