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Nov 15, 2022 · Who founded Reading Abbey? From scattered homes to a small Saxon settlement, Reading grew quietly but steadily until 1121, when King Henry I, William the Conqueror’s youngest son, announced plans to build a mighty royal abbey in our town.
4 days ago · The origin of the merchant gild of Reading is unknown, but it was certainly of great antiquity; it is probable that by the middle of the 13th century it had absorbed many of the powers of the primitive burghal institution of Reading.
Nov 28, 2022 · Between the 1700 and 1800s, Reading became an important centre for business and trade and grew into a thriving market town. Its three most important business became known as the three Bs – standing for beer, bulbs and biscuits.
- Saxon Reading
- Reading in The Middle Ages
- Reading in The 16th Century
- Reading in The 17th Century
- Reading in The 18th Century
- Reading in The 19th Century
- Reading in The 20th Century
- Reading in The 21st Century
- A Timeline of Reading
Reading began life as a Saxon settlement. Reading was originally called Reada ingas, which means the people of Reada. Reada was a Saxon leader who settled in the area with his tribe in the 6th century. The early settlement was probably in the area of St Marys Butts. (In the Middle Ages this road was called Old Street, so even then it was old). Its ...
The Normans built a wooden castle in Reading. It was later replaced by a stone castle. The king demolished the castle in 1152, fearing it might fall into the hands of his enemies. n also gave land west of the town and the rents from 29 houses in Reading to Battle Abbey in Sussex. The land was later given to Reading Abbey but a lane called Battle La...
In the early 16th century manufacturing cloth was still the mainstay of Reading’s economy. A writer said ‘The town stands chiefly by clothing’. n In 1538-40 Henry VIII dissolved Reading Abbey, the Grey Friars, and St John the Baptist Hospital. The last Abbot was hanged outside the abbey gates for refusing to recognize Henry as head of the Church of...
Reading underwent a major change in the 17th century. For centuries the wool trade had been the main industry. In the 17th century it declined and by the early 18th century was no longer a major industry in the town. A merchant named James Kendrick left money in his will to erect a building where the poor could be employed in making cloth. This bui...
In the early 18th century a writer said ‘the town of Reading contains about n900 houses (which would give it a population of about 4,500), large streets, but ordinary buildings wherein is the greatest market for corn in England. At about the same time another writer said that Reading ‘is very pleasantly situated, is large, but nothing near so famou...
At the time of the first census in 1801 Reading had a population of just under 10,000. By the standards of the time, it was quite a large town. In the 19th century, new industries grew up. In 1807 John Sutton a corn and seed merchant founded Suttons Seeds. In 1822 Joseph Huntley opened a biscuit bakery. Huntley and Palmer later became an important ...
In 1909 Reading gained its first cinemas. In 1911 the boundaries were extended again to include Caversham and Tilehurst. In 1920 the first council houses were built in Shinfield Road. Reading University opened in 1926. An aerodrome opened in Woodley in 1931. During the Second World War Reading was considered a ‘safe’ town (one unlikely to be bombed...
In the 21st century Reading is still a flourishing town. A Visitors Centre opened in 2001. In 2023 the population of Reading was 161,000.
871 The Danes capture the settlement at Reading 1006 The Danes burn Reading 1086 Reading has a population of about 600 1125 Henry I builds Reading Abbey 1320 Reading has a population of around 1,300 1500 Making cloth is the main industry in Reading 1539 Henry VIII closes Reading Abbey 1550 Reading has a population of around 2,000 1619 The first wir...
In 1086, the Domesday Book records that Reading had grown into a town and was a royal borough. A hundred years after the Domesday Book, Reading had become a significant town. What caused this transformation?
The history of Reading finds its earliest threads in Saxon settlements along the banks of the River Thames. In the 9th century, Reading Abbey, founded by King Henry I, became a focal point of religious and cultural life.
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Reading's history and heritage dates back to medieval times and the founding of Reading Abbey by Henry I, who was buried in the Abbey. There's lots to explore from this period of pilgrimage as well as Reading's second coming as an industrial powerhouse in Victorian times.
