The Hospitium

The Hospitium. . , The building opposite was once Reading Abbey's Hospitium (guesthouse). Pilgrims and other visitors to Reading could stay here for two nights, for free, so long as they went to services at the abbey church. , The dormitories were in the building facing you, and the dining hall was to your left. During the Civil War in the 1640s, Royalist soldiers occupying Reading used the Hospitium as a barracks., School and college , In 1486 a boys' school run by Reading Abbey moved into the Hospitium. The main subjects were Latin, maths and the Bible. The school survived the closure of the abbey and remained here until it moved to Erleigh Road in 1871 One of the most famous headmasters, from 1781 to 1830, was Dr Richard Valpy. He was a strict disciplinarian, and pupils were often caned., In the late 19th century, the Hospitium became home to University College, Reading which grew into the University of Reading. , Town graves , Mary Tudor gave this piece of land to St Laurence's in 1557 for burials. People from the parish of St Laurence had previously been buried by the abbey church, but lost their burial ground when the abbey closed. You can see the stone base of the original Tudor churchyard wall behind you. , Mary Tudor queen from 1553-58 was a Catholic and tried to reverse some of the actions of her Protestant brother Edward VI and her father Henry VIII., What's your favourite subject? Latin? Ancient Greek? Algebra? Probably not... but these were the main topics for schoolboys at Dr Valpy's school in the 1700s. Schoolgirls didn't get a look in here as Dr Valpy's school was for boys only., Timeline , 1121 Henry I founds Reading Abbey , 1164 Henry II attends official opening of Reading Abbey , 1254 Reading receives Royal Charter from Henry III , 1453 Parliament meets at Reading Abbey , 1486 Reading Abbey boys’ school moves to the Hospitium , 1539 Henry VIII closes Reading Abbey, Abbot Hugh is executed , 1560 Elizabeth I grants a new town charter , 1643 Abbey Church is severely damaged in Civil War , 1833 People of Reading fundraise to but Abbey ruins , 1861 Abbey Gateway collapses and is rebuilt , 1921 Celebrations for 800th anniversary of Abbey , 2018 Abbey Ruins re-open after major conservation works ,