Located at the heart of Reading's Abbey Quarter, Reading Abbey was one of Europe's largest and wealthiest medieval buildings and is the burial place of Henry I
Built in several phases over a period spanning more than a century between 1786 and 1897, the Reading Town Hall is the stunning home to the Reading Museum.
The buildings iconic red and grey brickwork, terracotta ornaments and Victorian Gothic has towered over Friar Street for almost 250 years, and is now a Grade II Listed building.
One of the most notable architects in its construction, Alfred Waterhouse, designed the buildings principal facade and oversaw its completion back in 1875.
The building is now the home to Reading Museum, a concert hall and numerous other spaces used mostly for cultural uses.
The Reading Museum has provided award-winning opportunities for learning, inspiration and enjoyment since 1883, collecting art, archaeology and natural history over the many years of its existence.
The museum boasts impressive collections ranging from famous Roman eagles to Britain's own copy of the Bayeux Tapestry and biscuit tins to ancient artefacts.
The building itself is an incredible work of art to be admired, and that's without taking the collections inside into consideration!
The Abbey Quarter is located in the centre of Reading to the east of the main shopping district and train station. It is defined by the former precinct of Reading Abbey, which existed from its the Abbey Quarter.
Back in 1900, Reading based biscuit makers Huntley & Palmers were the largest biscuit manufacturers in the world becoming one of the first globally known brands and running the largest biscuit factory in the world in the process.
Originally known as J. Huntley & Son when it was founded in 1822 by Joseph Huntley, the company was a small biscuit baker and confectioner shop at number 119 London Street in Reading. A blue plaque is still there today marking where the company's humble beginnings took place. The location was ideal at the time as London Street was the main stage coach route from London to Bristol, Bath and the West Country.
Joseph took advantage of the opportunity that came with the busy route, and began selling biscuits to travellers of the coaches staying at the Crown Inn opposite his store. Because of the biscuits proneness to breaking, Joseph began putting them in metal tins to prevent this. From this innovation, Joseph's biscuit company grew and his younger son Joseph's biscuit tin manufacturing company, Huntley, Boorne and Stevens was founded.
Due to ill-health, Joseph Huntley was forced to retire in 1838 where he passed control of the company to his eldest son Thomas. 3 years later Thomas took on distant cousin and member of the Society of Friends, George Palmer as a business partner. George quickly became the driving force behind the company's success, establishing numerous sales agents across the country.
The company soon found its original shop was too small and moved to a factory on Kings Road in 1846 which was extremely close to the Great Western Railway. The factory itself even had its own internal railway system with steam locomotives, one of which has been preserved near Bradford.
In 1857, Thomas Huntley passed away, leaving the company to George Palmer who continued to direct the firm successfully with the help of his brothers, William Isaac Palmer and Samuel Palmer. They soon found themselves as the Royal Family's biscuit makers and in 1865 expanded into the European continent and received Royal Warrants from Napoleon III and Leopold II of Belgium.
At the height of the company's success, Huntley and Palmers employed over 5000 people and were the largest biscuit firm in the world. The origins of the firm's success lay in a number of areas, such as providing a massive variety of biscuits, mass production to keep prices low and locally sourced ingredients such as flour from Hambleden Mill, just a few miles down the Thames.
The Palmers became notable figures in the town, generously supporting Reading through donations of money and land, most notably giving the town Palmer Park for the public to enjoy. Huntley and Palmers legacy even made it into the image of the town, with Reading commonly being the 'biscuit town' and the players of Reading F.C. becoming known as the 'biscuit men'.
The incredible history of Huntley and Palmers is available in much more detail at the Reading Museum, whilst the last remaining part of the factory is still easily visible from Kings Road in the centre of the town.
St Laurence's Church was established initially as a chapel at the Reading Abbey's gates almost 900 years ago in 1121. Due to the churches location next to the Abbey, trade in the area was lucrative and a large market sprung up around the church giving name to the Reading Market Place that can still be found in the same site today. St Laurence's impressive tower - which was originally built in 1458 and was restored in 1882 - is the only 12 bell tower in Reading.
The Minster of St. Mary the Virgin is a more than millennia old Grade I Listed building of unquestionable historic and architectural importance to the town. Throughout its extensive history the structure has survived Civil and World War attacks, as well as an extensive restorations throughout numerous centuries.
St James' Church was established between 1837 and 1840 within the old Abbey Ruins. The church itself has sections constructed from stones used in the Abbey itself. The building was the first to be designed by Augustus Welby Pugin, a convert to Catholicism.
Greyfriars Church was completed in 1311 by followers of St Francis, who were friars and dressed in grey. This is where the church and eventually the street would get the name Greyfriars from. The church is now a Grade I listed building and is the oldest Franciscan building still used for worship in the UK. The church underwent a complete refurbishment in 2000, but the character and the stonework of the impressive structure is still there to admire to this day.
Proposed in 2010, designed in 2012 and unveiled in 2015, the Trooper Potts VC memorial stands proudly opposite the Crown Court and the Roseate Hotel in the centre of Reading, and serves as reminder of the heroic deeds of one man, Trooper Frederick William Owen Potts VC.
Born in the Katesgrove area of Reading in 1892, Frederick William Owen Potts attended Katesgrove school where there is a small plaque in his memory and the assembly hall is named after him. His later education included University College Reading. Fred Potts' heroic nature became evident when in 1913 he became local celebrity for rescuing a boy from drowning in the River Thames. After saving the boy's life Potts quickly left the scene, preferring to avoid the attention that came with his heroism.
When the First World War began in 1914 Potts had already joined the Reading Squadron of the Berkshire Yeomanry. With his comrades he was sent to Egypt in April 1915. In August 1915 he and his comrades were moved to Gallipoli where they landed at Suvla Bay on 20 August. This is where Potts' act of heroism which earned him a VC occurred. On 21 August his squadron attacked the well defended Turkish trenches on the high ground of Scimitar Hill resulting in serious wounds to himself and a fellow Trooper from Reading, Pte Arthur Andrews.
Despite each man suffering multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the ear and upper thigh, over the course of 48 hours Potts dragged his severely wounded comrade 600 yards to safety on a shovel-turned-sled whilst dealing with the sweltering heat, hunger, thirst and constant threat of being spotted by the enemy.
When Potts made it back to the British lines with Andrews, the superior officers that received them almost immediately recommended him for a VC, which Potts received from King George V at Buckingham Palace in December 1915, less than 8 months after he was initially deployed.
Potts eventually passed away in 1943 due to ill health associated with the injuries he sustained on that day, and it wasn't until 72 years later, after a spectacular crowd-funding campaign, that his act of heroism earned a permanent place in the heart of the town.
Opened in 1909 on Broad Street and capable of holding 500 people, the Vaudeville Electric Theatre is Reading's oldest cinema. By 1921, thanks to several renovations it was capable of holding 1500 audience members.
The cinema had an impressive auditorium with a barrel vaulted ceiling, with seating split into stalls and circle levels. The Vaudeville event boasted an 'old English' style tea room, finished with wood panelled walls.
Currently home to Waterstones, the Grade II Listed building was once a nonconformist chapel dating back to its construction in 1707.
Situated on Broad Street in the heart of Reading, the main building was built in 1707 and is slightly set back from the Broad Street. The interior is roughly square with encircling galleries and a domed ceiling with modillion cornice.
The building was extended at the side and rear at later dates, and in 1892 a separate frontage building was built along the construction constraints of Broad Street, with the stunning arch, tower and octagonal turret that you can admire to this day.
The latest addition, the frontage building, has since been connected to the original structure further back, with modern, glass-roofed conservatory. The galleries of the former chapel now make up part of the shop, with a sweeping staircase in the centre linking the two floors. William Blackall Simonds, the founder of the Simonds Brewery and J & C Simonds bank, and grandfather of George Blackall Simonds - the sculptor of the Forbury Lion - was baptised at the chapel in 1761.
Situated adjacent to a lovely stretch of the River Thames, Caversham Court Gardens is a gorgeous public garden and mansion located in Caversham.
The tranquil site that lies within the St Peter's conservation area, offers a reclusive and charming outdoor retreat just a short drive away from the vibrant centre of Reading.
Caversham Court is a Grade II Listed site in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens and dates back to the 12th century.
The gardens which were laid out between 16060 and 1681 by Thomas Loveday, have seen numerous uses over the centuries such as private estate, an allotment for growing food during the second World War and even a place of residence for Pagan's up until its closure for restoration.
The gardens now serve as an incredible green space for the public's enjoyment following a £1.6m restoration project and the reopening in 2009.
The Maiwand Lion, more commonly known was the 'Forbury Lion' is a sculpture and war memorial in the Forbury Gardens, a public park in the centre of Reading.
The statue got its name from the Battle of Maiwand and was erected in 1884 to commemorate the deaths of over 250 men from the 66th Berkshire Regiment of Foot during the Second Anglo-Afghan War between 1878 and 1880.
The statues sculptor, George Blackall Simonds, took two years to design and complete the statue, which is now one of the largest cast iron statues in the world.
A common rumour persists in the town that Mr Simonds committed suicide after learning that the lion was anatomically incorrect, the source of which isn't known. The rumour, is all it is, as the lion is anatomically correct and Mr Simonds went on to live another 43 years during which time he created the statue of Queen Victoria - located next to Reading Museum - and George Palmer - originally in Broad Street, which was later moved to Palmer Park - before his death in 1929.
