You've Found the Abbey Ruins

You've Found the Abbey Ruins. Abbey Quarter. If the abbey church was standing today, you would be on the north side of the nave, looking towards the high altar., The 'Reading Abbey Stone' , In 1835 excavations in the abbey church uncovered a large stone, brightly painted in red, white and black. It was used to create a font for St James Church. The bright colours have faded but you can still see the carved stone inside the church., Civil War destruction , The massive piece of the abbey church walls pictured right has been lying here since the English Civil War in the 1640s. During the Siege of Reading in 1643, both the Royalist and Parliamentary armies used the Abbey Ruins as part of their defences as they fought for control over Reading. King Charles ordered the demolition of the abbey to make it harder for the Parliamentary army to retake and hold the town, and the walls were destroyed with gunpowder., Plummery Wall - The wall marks the northern edge of the abbey grounds Leadwork for the abbey buildings was prepared here in the 12th century. , St James Church - When it opened in 1840, this was the first Catholic church in Reading since the reign of Henry V. The land was paid for by James Wheble, a wealthy local Catholic, and the building was designed by Augustus Pugin, one of the 19th century's most famous architects. , Schoolhouse - This is now a nursery, but used to be a school for children from the congregation of St James's. It sits over the foundations of the east end of the abbey church, where the monks worshipped, and possibly covers Henry's tomb. , Reading Prison - The prison opened in 1866 over the eastern part of the abbey grounds. It closed in 2013. , Abbey Ruins - This is the east end of the abbey church. The west end ran along to your right, ending in line with the grey cross over your right shoulder. To visit the Abbey Ruins go down the path to your right and under the bridge., The knobbly stones in the walls of the ruins are flints which are found in the chalk hills around Reading. Flints were formed millions of years ago in deep oceans. Dead sponges and other sea creatures fell to the bottom. Their soft parts rotted away, leaving only silica from their skeletons. Over time the silica bonded together as smooth, hard, shiny flint., 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 grants a new town charter , 1643 - Abbey church is severely damaged in Civil War , 1833 - People of Reading fundraise to buy Abbey Ruins , 1840 - St James Church opens in former abbey grounds , 1861 - Abbey Gateway is restored by George Gilbert Scott , 1920 - Reading Pageant in Abbey Ruins , 2018 - Abbey Ruins re-open after major conservation works