Reading may have originated as a Roman settlement on the River Thames or at an intersection of Roman roads. It is first mentioned in the 8th century as Readingum and was the site of the first Battle of Reading in 871. The founding of Reading Abbey in 1121 increased the town's prosperity, though the relationship between the abbey and the townspeople was sometimes strained. The abbey was largely destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538. Reading grew into an important market town and manufacturing center over subsequent centuries.

1. HISTORY OF READING
Readingmayhave existedasearlyasthe Roman occupationof Britain,possiblyaseitheratradingport on the River
Thames,or as an intersectiononthe RomanroadconnectingLondonwithCallevaAtrebatumnearSilchester.
Beginnings
The firstevidence forReadingasa settlementdatesfromthe 8thcentury,where the towncame to be knownas
Readingum.The name probablycomesfromthe Readingas,anAnglo-Saxontribe whosename means"Reada's
People"inOldEnglish,or(less probably) the CelticRhydd-Inge,"Fordoverthe River".Thename of the settlementwas
derivedfromanearlierfolk,ortribal,name.Anglo-Saxonnamesendingin -ingasoriginallyreferrednottoa place but
to a people,inthiscase specificallythe descendantsorfollowersof aman namedReada,literally"The RedOne."
In late 870 an army of Danesinvadedthe thenkingdomof Wessexandsetupcamp at Reading.On4 January871, the
firstBattle of Readingtookplace,whenanarmy ledbyKingEthelredandhisbrotherAlfredthe Greatattempted
unsuccessfullytobreachthe Danes'defences.The battle isdescribedinthe Anglo-SaxonChronicle,andthisaccount
providesthe earliestknownwrittenrecordof the existence of the townof Reading.The Danesremaine dinReading
until late in871, whentheyretreatedto winterquartersinLondon.
Afterthe Battle of Hastingsand the Normanconquestof England,Williamthe Conquerorgave landinandaround
Readingtohisfoundationof Battle Abbey.Inits1086 DomesdayBooklisting,the townwasexplicitlydescribedasa
borough.The presence of six millsisrecorded,withfouronlandbelongingtothe kingand twoon the landgivento
Battle Abbey.
Time of the Abbey
ReadingAbbeywasfoundedbyHenryIin1121, and he isburiedwithinthe Abbeygrounds.Aspartof his
endowments,he gave the abbeyhislandswithinReading,alongwithlandatCholsey.He alsoarrangedforthe land
previouslyownedbyBattle Abbeytobe transferredtoReadingAbbey,inreturnforsome of hislandat Appledramin
Sussex.
The foundationof ReadingAbbeyledtothe townbecomingaplace of pilgrimage andenhancedthe town's
prosperity.Howeverthe relationshipbetweenalreadyestablishedborough'sburgessesandthe Abbeywastoprove
strainedattimes.In1253 Reading'sMerchantGuildsuccessfullypetitionedforthe grantof a charter fromthe King
and negotiatedadivisionof authoritywiththe Abbey.Howeverdisputescontinuedoverthe Abbey'spowerstoraise
taxesandappointthe Guild'sofficers.Eventhe title of the Guild'sfirstofficerwasopentodispute,withthe Guild
and,on occasion,the Kingreferringtohimas the Mayor, whilstthe Abbeycontinued tocall himthe GuildWarden.
It isnot knownexactlyhowbadlyReadingwasaffectedbythe BlackDeaththat sweptthroughEnglandinthe 14th
century.But itis knownthatthe abbot of ReadingAbbey,Henryof Appleford,wasone of itsvictimsin1361, andthat
nearbyHenleylost60%of itspopulation.

2. In 1487, Henry VIIgranteda furthercharterthat wentfurtherthanpreviouscharters,althoughstill leavingthe
appointmentof the Mayor/Wardeninthe handsof the Abbey.Thischarter,anda subsequentjudicial arbitrationin
1499, confirmedthe Guildasa bodycorporate inperpetuity.
Dissolutionandwar
The Abbeywaslargelydestroyedin1538 duringHenryVIII'sDissolutionof the Monasteries.The lastabbot,Hugh
CookFaringdon,wassubsequentlytriedandconvictedof hightreasonandhanged,drawnandquarteredinfrontof
the AbbeyChurch.The dissolutioninitiallysawthe Mayorappointedbythe King'sofficersadministeringthe
dismembermentof the abbeyproperties.Howeverin1542 HenryVIIIgrantedthe Guilda new charterthat permitted
the burgessestoelectthe Mayor.
The earliestmapof Reading,publishedin1611 by JohnSpeed.
By 1525, Readingwasthe largesttowninBerkshire,andtax returnsshow that Readingwasthe 10th largesttownin
EnglandfollowedcloselybyColchesterandLeicester,basedontaxable wealth.By 1611, Readinghada populationof
over5000 and had grownrich onits trade in cloth,as instancedbythe fortune made bylocal merchantJohn
Kendrick.Atthistime,Readinghadmostlytraditional timberframedhouses,afew examplesof whichstill existi n
Castle Street,MarketPlace andotherplaces.Oftenthe frontgroundfloorof the house wasgivenoverto retail
activities,withfamilyandlodgerslivinginthe roomsbehindandabove.
The town playedanimportantrole duringthe EnglishCivilWar;it changedhands a numberof times.Despite its
fortifications,ithada Royalistgarrisonimposedonitin1642. The subsequentSiegeof Readingbythe Parliamentary
forcessucceededinApril 1643. However,the taxesleviedbythe variouspartiesleftBerkshire 'inamiserable
condition,hardlyasheep,hen,hog,oats,wheat,oranyotherthingfor man or beastto feedupon'.The town'scloth
trade was especiallybadlydamaged,andthe town'seconomydidnotfullyrecoveruntil the 20thcentury.
Readingplayedasignificantrole duringthe Revolutionof 1688, withthe secondBattle of Readingbeingthe only
substantial militaryactionof the campaign.JamesIIhadstationedanadvance guard of 600, largelyIrish,troopsin
Readingtostop the march of William'sarmytowardsLondon.Seeingthese troopsasanoccupyingforce,the people
of ReadingrequestedhelpfromWilliam,informinghimof the Royalistpositionsinthe town.Asaresult,a relief force
of about250 troopsattackedfroman unexpecteddirection,andforcedthe Irishtroopstoabandonthe town.This
defeatof James'troopsby an inferiorforce,togetherthe willingnessof the people of ReadingtosupportWilliam,
convincedJamesof the insecurityof hisposition andhe fledthe country.
18th century
Viewof ReadingfromCavershambyJosephFaringtonin1793.
The 18th centurysaw the beginningof amajoriron worksinthe townand the growth of the brewingtrade forwhich
Readingwasto become famous.Agricultural productsfromthe surroundingareastill usedReadingasamarketplace,
especiallyatthe famousReadingcheese fairbutnow trade was cominginfrom a widerarea.
Reading'strade benefitedfrombetterdesignedturnpike roadswhichhelpeditestablishitslocationonthe major
coachingroutesfromLondonto Oxfordand the westcountry.It alsogainedfromincreasingrivertrafficonboththe
Thamesand Kennet.In1723, despite considerable local opposition,the KennetNavigationopenedthe RiverKennet

3. to boatsas faras Newbury.Thisoppositionstoppedwhenitbecame apparentthe new route benefitedthe town.The
openingof the KennetandAvonCanal in1810 made itpossible togoby barge from Readingtothe Bristol Channel.
From 1714, and probablyearlier,the role of countytownfor Berkshire wassharedbetweenReadingandAbingdon.
The Assize andQuarterSessionscourtsmetinboth towns,withthe LentenAssizestraditional heldinReadingandthe
SummerAssizesinAbingdon.The countygaol wasat Reading,butbothhad a house of correction,alsoknownasa
Bridewell,thatheldprisonersfrom variouspartsof the county.
Towardsthe endof the century,HenryAddington,1stViscountSidmouth,livedatBulmershe Court,inwhatisnow
the Readingsuburbof Woodley.Althoughhe movedto Richmondwhenhe wasappointedprimeminister,he
retainedhislocal connections.He donatedtothe townof Readingthe fouracres (16,000 m²) of landthat istodaythe
Royal Berkshire Hospital,andhisname iscommemoratedinthe town'sSidmouthStreetandAddingtonRoad.
19th century
Map of Readingfrom1830 by Ordnance Survey.
In 1801, the populationof Readingwasabout9,400. Duringthe 19th century,the towngrew rapidlyasa
manufacturingcentre.Readingmaintaineditsrepresentationbytwomembers of parliamentwiththe ReformAct
1832, andthe boroughwasone of the onesreformedasa municipal boroughbythe Municipal CorporationsAct
1835. In1836 the ReadingBoroughPolice were founded.The GreatWesternRailwayarrivedin1841, followedbythe
SouthEasternRailway,in1849, and the London andSouthWesternRailway,in1856.
The ReadingEstablishment,anearlycommercial photographicstudio,operatedinReadingfrom1844–47 and was
managedbyNicholaasHenneman,aDutchmanandformervaletof WilliamHenryFox Talbot(apioneerof
photography).Manyof the imagesforThe Pencil of Nature byFox Talbot,the firstbookto be illustratedwith
photographicprints,were printedinReading.
The statue of George Palmer,BroadStreetlookingwestwards,c.1890.
By 1851 the populationwas21,500. The previousyear,the ReadingUnionWaterCompanyhadstartedconstruction
of the worksto resolve the shortage of safe drinkingwaterthatwasaffectingthe growingtown.Untreatedwaterwas
pumpedtothe Bath Road Reservoirbya pumpingstationatSouthcote Lockon the RiverKennet,andfilteredthere
before beinggravityfedtoconsumers.The workswere completedby1852.
The SummerAssizeswere movedfromAbingdontoReadingin1867, effectivelymakingReadingthe sole county
townof Berkshire,adecisionthatwasofficiallyapprovedbythe privycouncil in1869. The townbecame a county
boroughunderthe Local GovernmentAct1888. A permanentmilitarypresencewasestablishedinthe citywiththe
completionof BrockBarracks in1881.
By 1900, the populationwas59,000—large sectionsof the housinginReadingare terraced,reflectingits19th-century
growth.The town hasbeenfamousforthe Three Bs of beer(1785–2010, Simonds'Brewery),bulbs(1837–1974,
SuttonsSeeds), andbiscuits(1822–1976, HuntleyandPalmers).Inthe 19thcenturythe townalsomade 'Reading
Sauce',describedasa sharp sauce flavouredwithonions,spices,andherbs,verymuchlike WorcestershireSauce.

4. 20th centuryandbeyond
KingsRoadin 1979, onthe rightisthe demolishedHuntley&Palmersbuilding.
Comparedtomany otherEnglishtownsandcities,Readingsufferedlittle physical damage duringeitherof the two
WorldWars thatafflictedthe 20th century,althoughmanyof itscitizenslosttheirlives,orwere injured,inthe
conflicts.The namesof the deadare rememberedonthe Berkshire WarMemorial atthe entrance to Forbury
Gardens,or on varioussuburbanwarmemorials.One significantairraidoccurredon 10 February1943, whenasingle
Luftwaffe plane machine-gunnedandbombedthe towncentre,resultingin41 deathsandover100 injuries.Mostof
these were accountedforbya single bomb,whichstruckthe crowdedPeople’sPantryrestaurantinthe Market
Arcade.
The town continuedtoexpandinthe 20th century,annexingCavershamacrossthe RiverThamesinOxfordshire in
1911. Thisexpansioncanbe seeninthe numberof 1920s builtsemi-detachedproperties,andthe 1950s expansion
that joinedWoodley,EarleyandTilehurstinto Reading.MilesAircraftinWoodleywasanimportantlocal firmfrom
the 1930s to 1950s. The LowerEarleydevelopment,startedinthe 1970s, wasthe largestprivate housing
developmentinEurope.Thisextendedthe urbanareaof Readingupto the M4 motorway,whichacts as the southern
boundaryto the town.Furtherhousingdevelopmentshave increasedthe numberof moderncommuterhousesin
the surroundingpartsof Reading,and'out-of-town'shoppinghypermarkets.
At the endof 1966 the YieldHall multi-storeycarparkwas opened,providingcoveredspace for522 cars. It was
notedthat the rampswere arrangedto segregate up-trafficfromdown-traffic,with"one-waycirculation"through
mostof the building.
The local shoppingcentre,The Oracle,builtin1999, isnamedafterthe 17th centuryOracle workhouse withfunds
bequeathedbyJohnKendrick,whichonce occupiedasmall partof the site.It providesthree storeysof shoppingand
boostedthe local economy byproviding4,000 jobs.
As one of the largesturban areasin the UnitedKingdomtobe withoutcitystatus,Readinghasbidforcity statuson
three recentoccasions – in2000 to celebrate the new millennium;in2002 to celebrate the GoldenJubilee of Queen
ElizabethII;and2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.All threebidswere unsuccessful.