You've Found Reading Abbey's Market Place

You've Found Reading Abbey's Market Place. Abbey Quarter. , This market place was created by the monks of Reading Abbey in the 12th century. They deliberately placed it close to the abbey's main entrance, next to St Laurence's church to your left., Reading's weekly market was held here for hundreds of years and the old market place at St Mary's Butts fell out of use. Then in the 1970s the market moved again, back to its original location at St Mary's Butts., The Simeon Monument , The unusual stone monument to your right dates from 1804. It was paid for by Edward Simeon, the director of the Bank of England. It just so happened that Edward's brother John was standing for election as a Reading MP at the time, and some people thought the monument was an attempt to win votes. by setting up in the market place a paltry gewgaw without use or name. The monument was designed by the architect Sir John Soane, who is better known for planning the Bank of England's headquarters in London., Sir John Soane (1753-1837) grew up in Goring and went to school in Reading before studying architecture in London., ------- , Medieval shoppers had to keep a sharp eye out for dodgy dealings. For food sold by weight, traders had tricks to make it heavier. Peppercorns were soaked in water and some bakers put stones in their bread. Anybody caught cheating would be put in the stocks as a punishment, for a day or more. The stocks were just up the road by the church., 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 severely damaged in Civil War , 1804 Simeon Monument is built , 1833 People of Reading fundraise to buy Abbey Ruins , 1861 Abbey Gateway is restored by George Gilbert Scott , 1920 Reading Pageant in the Abbey Ruins , 2018 Abbey re-open after major conservation works