Abbey Quarter

Abbey Quarter. Forbury Gardens. , You are now entering Forbury Gardens. In medieval times this was a rough patch of open ground, where horses grazed and pilgrims waited for services at the abbey church. At this time it was known as 'the Forbury'., The Forbury became a town park in 1856. Local people collected money to buy the land and the ruins, which became central to leisure time in Reading., The view from here , In medieval times the abbey church towered over Reading. The tower could be seen all over town, and beyond. , Markets and fairs , Reading Abbey was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and two saints - Philip and James. On their feast days the abbey held huge markets in the Forbury, selling all manner of food, drink, textiles, household goods and more luxurious products from abroad like spices and furs., In the 1700s this was the site of a huge yearly market called the Reading Cheese Fair. You could buy hard cheese, soft cheese, mouldy cheese and stinky cheese. You could also buy cows, cloth and hops to flavour your beer. Alongside the Cheese Fair there was a Pleasure Fair with rides, games and displays of wild animals. , 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 , 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 buy Abbey Ruins , 1856 Forbury Gardens opens to the public , 1861 Abbey Gateway is restored by George Gilbert Scott , 1920 Reading Pageant in the Abbey Ruins , 2018 Abbey Ruins re-open after major conservation works