Reading is located in Berkshire, an hour's drive west of London, on the River Kennet.This is a fairly old city, whose history dates back more than 1,000 years, and today it is quite developed.Nowadays, Reading is known for a good football team, a few notable natives and, grim as it sounds, its prison.It was here that Oscar Wilde was imprisoned and wrote his confession, From the Deep, and it was this penitentiary that he celebrated in his "Ballad of Reading Gaol" after his release.
A LITTLE HISTORY
The settlement on the site of present-day Reading appeared in the 8th century, and after the foundation of the Benedictine abbey in the 12th century, the city began to develop here. In the 16th century, it was one of the largest in the country, and two centuries later it became an industrial center due to the iron ore deposits discovered nearby. Today, about one and a half hundred thousand people live in the city, but walking along the busy streets, you can think that in reality there are twice as many residents. The fact is that a popular university, once a part of Oxford, and now an independent university, has opened in Reading. The famous ICMA school of economics works on its base. Young people come here from many cities in Central England, forming a lively, young and active look of the city.
Famous artists who were born in Reading would do honor to London itself: among them Sam Mendes, Mike Oldfield and Kate Winslet - not to mention the two Middleton princesses.And Jane Austen went to a school in Reading, which was located in the Abbey Gate.
HOW TO GET
It's hard not to get to Reading from London with such a desire.It is a large town on the Old Bath Road (the A4 to Avonmouth).It is an important railway junction and cargo terminal.It is a busy river port on the Thames and Kennet.And there is a RailAir express bus from London Heathrow to Reading.
ENTERTAINMENT AND SIGHTS
Reading boasts five Grade I listed buildings.This is the Abbey, the Abbey Gate, the Churches of St. Lawrence and the Greyfriars, and the Minster (St. Mary's Church).In general, the architecture of the city mixes a lot of styles and currents, starting from the Middle Ages and ending with the modernity of the 21st century.
Abbey
The abbey, from which the development of Reading began under Henry I, is now almost in ruins. However, here you can see the relatively well-preserved church, the section of the wall near the main entrance and the mill. In the summer, theatrical productions based on Shakespearean stories are sometimes staged in the ruins. But in the middle of the 19th century, the abbey was surrounded by the green Victorian park Forbury Gardens, which remained unchanged. In the center of the park in 1884. a large Mayvend stone lion was installed - an unofficial symbol of the city, a monument to the soldiers who laid down their lives on the altar of the state's colonial policy in the 19th century.
The Abbey Gate is an inner gate that adjoins the Royal Courts of Justice and Forbury Gardens.In the Middle Ages, the gate served as a neutral area for the meeting of monks and laity.Like the abbey itself, the gates have suffered a lot from time, and even more from a storm in 1861: they almost collapsed in 2010. were closed to visitors, as stones began to fall from above.
Church of St. Lawrence
The Church of St. Lawrence was built during the Norman period, but was extensively rebuilt in the 12th century, then in the 15th and 19th centuries.Its structural feature was a significant three-story tower, built in the middle of the 15th century.Several interesting objects have been preserved inside the church: in particular, a memorial to John Blagrave, an English mathematician of the 16th century.Today the church belongs to the missionaries.
Greyfriars
Greyfriars is an evangelical Anglican church, founded in the 13th century by monks of the Order of St. Francis and the oldest of the currently functioning Franciscan churches in Great Britain.At the same time, it is considered the best preserved of the Franciscan church buildings in the country.In 2000 the interior of the church was completely remodeled, and the Victorian pews were replaced with modern furniture.
Minster
The Minster, or Church of the Holy Virgin Mary, is believed to be the oldest religious building in Reading. After the decline of the abbey, it acquired primary importance in the spiritual life of the city. Today it is an Anglican church, not to be confused with the other church of St Mary on Castle Street, just a few meters away. The first chapel on the site of the Minster was built in the 7th century, and the main part of the current structure dates from the late 11th century. During the Reformation, the church lost its altar, stained glass and statues, and by the 16th century it was already in need of major renovation. In 1918 a memorial chapel of St. Edward was added to the building, and the last restoration work here was completed only in 2003. Today, bells are installed on the belfry, the oldest of which was cast in 1640; and the organ of the Ministry was created in 1862. Henry Willis-father and rebuilt by his company in 1936.
In the first half of the 19th century, the "Huntley and Palmers" biscuit factory was opened in Reading, which won such wide popular recognition that the number of local residents jumped sharply, and the whole city began to be called "baked".Today, the headquarters of the company is based in Suffolk, in Sudbury, and the factory in Reading does not function.But the football team of the city is sometimes still called "roasted men".
St. James and St. Gilles
Also of interest are the Roman Catholic Church of St. James in the center of the city, near the ruins of the abbey, a mid-19th-century building, and the pointed church of St. Gilles, built in the 12th century south of the canal for the flock that found it too far to reach St. Mary's .Other notable buildings include a 12th-century school, one of the 16 oldest in England, a 19th-century university, and a 19th-century Bath sandstone building of the Royal Hospital.
Museums of Reading
Reading's cultural treasures are preserved in several museums: in particular, the historical one, opened in the second half of the 19th century in the old, beautiful building of the Town Hall, a building of the 18th and 19th centuries.There are exhibits related to the history of Reading and Callewa, as well as the Bayeux Tapestry (with the only copy in the world) and the Huntly and Palmers factory.The city is also home to the Cole Zoological Museum and the Harris Botanical Garden, both on the campus of Whiteknight University.The Berkshire Aviation Museum, located in the suburb of Woodley, has a collection of aircraft that were produced in the town.
Two particularly interesting museums for their unusualness are the Uri Museum of Greek Archeology and the Historical Museum of Provincial Life in the eastern part of the city, in the former East Thorpe estate.Both museums are run by the University of Reading.The first houses one of the most important collections of ancient Greek art in the entire Kingdom.The second museum has at its disposal photographs, archives, films, books and many different objects: a total of more than 22,000 exhibits for the period of the last 200 years.Both museums are free to visit.
In 2012, the city government for the third time since 2000. tried to knock out the prestigious "city" title for Reading - and again unsuccessfully.
HOLIDAYS AND EVENTS
In the summer time, you can have a great time in the fresh air in the city, combining it with visiting a number of events.Reading has over 100 parks and playgrounds and many host outdoor concerts in the summer.In June, the city hosts a carnival in Prospect Park and a charity Hospital Show with free admission to concerts and circus performances.At the end of the month, a water festival is waiting for you, and in the very middle of summer - a big jazz open air.Equestrian competitions and a yacht regatta are also among the annual events.
The Reading Rock Festival, held annually in August, is considered the largest in the country.
