Editing Reading Abbey

{{Short description|Ruined Cluniac abbey in Reading, Berkshire, England}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox monastery
| name           = Reading Abbey
| image          = Reading Abbey interior.jpg
| caption        = The [[chapter house]], from the site of the monks' dormitory
| full           = The Abbey of Reading, dedicated to the Virgin and St John the Evangelist
| order          = [[Cluniac]]
| established    = 18 June 1121
| disestablished = 1539
| mother         = 
| diocese        = 
| churches       = 
| founder        = [[Henry I of England]] 
| dedication     = [[Mary, mother of Jesus]]<br />[[John the Evangelist]]
| people         = [[Hugh Faringdon]]
| location       = [[Reading, Berkshire]], England
| coordinates    = {{coord|51|27|22.85|N|0|57|54.31|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| map_type       = United Kingdom Reading Central
| map_caption    = Location within Reading Town Centre
| remains        = Inner rubble cores of the walls of the major buildings; gateway and hospitium intact. 
| public_access  = Open daily
}}

'''Reading Abbey''' is a large, [[ruins|ruined]] [[abbey]] in the centre of the town of [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]], in the English county of [[Berkshire]]. It was founded by [[Henry I of England|Henry I]] in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of [[William I of England|King William, my father]], and of [[William II of England|King William, my brother]], and [[Edith of Scotland|Queen Maud, my wife]], and all my ancestors and successors." In its heyday the abbey was one of Europe's largest royal [[monastery|monasteries]].<ref name="Coates">{{Cite book |last=Coates |first=Alan |title=English medieval books: The Reading Abbey collections from foundation to dispersal |date=1999 |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=978-0-19-820756-6 |series=Oxford historical monographs |location=Oxford |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207566.001.0001}}</ref> The traditions of the Abbey are continued today by the neighbouring [[St James's Church, Reading|St James's Church]], which is partly built using stones of the Abbey ruins.<ref name="rarwa">{{cite book | author=The staff of the Trust for Wessex Archaeology and Reading Museum and Art Gallery | title=Reading Abbey Rediscovered: A summary of the Abbey's history and recent archaeological excavations | publisher=Trust for Wessex Archaeology | year=1983}}</ref><ref name=aqvisit>{{cite web |url=https://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/visit |title=Visit |work=readingabbeyquarter.org.uk |date=18 May 2018 |publisher=Reading Borough Council |access-date=6 February 2020 |archive-date=6 February 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206104342/https://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/visit}}</ref>

Reading Abbey was the focus of a major £3 million project called "Reading Abbey Revealed" which conserved the ruins and Abbey Gateway and resulted in them being re-opened to the public on 16 June 2018. Alongside the conservation, new interpretation of the Reading Abbey Quarter was installed, including a new gallery at [[Reading Museum]], and an extensive activity programme.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-44506026 |title=Reading Abbey Abbey ruins reopen after £3m repairs |date=16 June 2018 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=24 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717092719/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-44506026 |archive-date=17 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=aqabout>{{cite web |url=http://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/about-abbey-quarter |title=About the Abbey Quarter |work=readingabbeyquarter.org.uk |date=14 June 2017 |publisher=Reading Borough Council |access-date=25 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725203007/https://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/about-abbey-quarter |archive-date=25 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Abbey (Reading ward)|Abbey Ward]] of [[Reading Borough Council]] takes its name from Reading Abbey, which lies within its boundaries. Now [[HM Prison Reading]] is on the site.

==History==

The abbey was founded by [[Henry I of England|Henry I]] in 1121. As part of his endowments, he gave the abbey his lands within Reading, along with land at [[Cholsey]], then in Berkshire, and [[Leominster]] in Herefordshire. He also arranged for further land in Reading, previously given to [[Battle Abbey]] by [[William the Conqueror]], to be transferred to Reading Abbey, in return for some of his land at [[Appledram]] in Sussex.<ref name=ahcbbr>{{cite book | chapter = The borough of Reading: The borough | title = A History of the County of Berkshire | volume = 3 | year = 1923 | pages = 342–364 | chapter-url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43226 | editor1-first= P.H. | editor1-last= Ditchfield | editor2-first= William  | editor2-last= Page }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Kemp|first1=Brian R.|title=Reading Abbey an introduction to the history of the abbey|date=1968|publisher=Reading Museum and Art Gallery|location=Reading|page=13}}</ref>

Following its royal foundation, the abbey was established by a party of [[monk]]s from [[Cluny Abbey]] in [[Burgundy]], together with monks from the Cluniac [[priory of St Pancras]] at [[Lewes]] in Sussex. The abbey was dedicated to the [[Virgin Mary]] and [[St John the Evangelist]].<ref>Charles Tomkins, ''Views of Reading abbey, with those of the churches originally connected with it'', 1805</ref> The first abbot, in 1123, was [[Hugh of Amiens]]<ref>C. Warren Hollister, ''Henry I'' (2001), pp. 282–3.</ref> who became [[archbishop of Rouen]] and was buried in [[Rouen Cathedral]].

According to the twelfth-century chronicler [[William of Malmesbury]], the abbey was built on a gravel spur "between the rivers Kennet and Thames, on a spot calculated for the reception of almost all who might have occasion to travel to the more populous cities of England".<ref>[https://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/history-abbey-quarter "History of the Abbey Quarter", Abbey Quarter]</ref> The adjacent rivers provided convenient transport, and the abbey established [[wharf|wharves]] on the [[River Kennet]]. The Kennet also provided power for the abbey [[water mill]]s, most of which were established on the [[Holy Brook]], a channel of the Kennet of uncertain origin.

[[File:Burial of Henry I, 1136 by Harry Morley, painted in 1916.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Burial of [[Henry I of England|Henry I]] at Reading Abbey in 1136, painted by [[Harry Morley]] (1916)]]
When Henry I died in [[Lyons-la-Forêt]], Normandy in 1135 his body was returned to Reading, and was buried in the front of the [[altar]] of the then incomplete abbey.<ref>Hollister, C. Warren (2003). Frost, Amanda Clark (ed.). Henry I. New Haven, US and London, UK: Yale University Press. p. 474, {{ISBN| 978-0-300-09829-7}}</ref>

Because of its royal patronage, the abbey was one of the [[pilgrimage]] centres of [[medieval]] England, and one of its richest and most important religious houses, with possessions as far away as [[Herefordshire]] and Scotland. The abbey also held over 230 [[relic]]s including the hand of [[James, son of Zebedee|St James]].<ref name=rbhrra>{{cite web |url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/churches/rdgrelic.html |title=Relics from Reading Abbey |author=Ford, David Nash |year=2001 |work=Royal Berkshire History |publisher=Nash Ford Publishing |access-date=28 December 2010}}</ref> A shrivelled human hand was found in the ruins during demolition work in 1786 and is now in St Peter's Catholic Church, [[Marlow, Buckinghamshire|Marlow]].<ref name=rbhreading>{{cite web |url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/villages/reading.html |title=History of Reading, Berkshire |author=Ford, David Nash |year=2001 |work=Royal Berkshire History |publisher=Nash Ford Publishing |access-date=28 December 2010}}</ref> The song [[Sumer is icumen in]], which was first written down in the abbey about 1240, is the earliest known six-part harmony from Britain. The original document is held in the [[British Library]].<ref name=rbhsiii>{{cite web |url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/maps/reading_abbey/rdgab08.html |title=Sumer is icumen in memorial, Reading Abbey |author=Ford, David Nash |year=2001 |work=Royal Berkshire History |publisher=Nash Ford Publishing |access-date=28 December 2010}}</ref>

Reading Abbey was frequently visited by kings and others, most especially by [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] who often visited three or four times a year staying several weeks on each visit. It also hosted important state events, including the meeting between [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] and the [[Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem|Patriarch of Jerusalem]] in 1185, the wedding of [[John of Gaunt]] and [[Blanche of Lancaster]] in 1359 and a meeting of [[Parliament of England|Parliament]] in 1453.<ref name=cs7>{{cite book | title = The Town of Reading and its Abbey | first = Cecil | last = Slade | publisher = MRM Associates Ltd | year = 2001 | isbn = 978-0-9517719-4-5 | pages = 6–7}}</ref>

The abbey was mostly destroyed in 1538 during [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII's]] [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]]. The last abbot, [[Hugh Faringdon]], was subsequently tried and convicted of [[high treason]] and [[hanged, drawn and quartered]] in front of the Abbey Church. After this, the buildings of the abbey were extensively robbed, with lead, glass and facing stones removed for reuse elsewhere.<ref name="rarwa"/>
[[File:Map of reading abbey 2.png|alt=Map of Reading Abbey before its destruction.|thumb|upright=1.35|Map of Reading Abbey before its destruction.]]
Some twenty years after the Dissolution, Reading town council created a new town hall by inserting an upper floor into the former refectory of the [[hospitium]] of the abbey. The lower floor of this building continued to be used by [[Reading School]], as it had been since 1486. For the next 200 years, the old monastic building continued to serve as Reading's town hall, but by the 18th century it was suffering from structural weakness. Between 1785 and 1786, the old hall was dismantled and replaced on the same site by the first of several phases of building that were to make up today's [[Reading Town Hall]].<ref name=dptsor42>{{cite book | first = Daphne | last = Phillips | title = The Story of Reading | year = 1980 | publisher = Countryside Books | isbn = 978-0-905392-07-3 | pages = 42}}</ref><ref name=dptsor88>{{cite book | first = Daphne | last = Phillips | title = The Story of Reading | year = 1980 | publisher = Countryside Books | isbn = 978-0-905392-07-3 | pages = 88}}</ref> Around 1787, [[Henry Seymour Conway]] removed a large amount of stone from the wall and used it to build [[Conway's Bridge]] near his home at [[Park Place, Berkshire|Park Place]] outside [[Henley-on-Thames|Henley]].<ref>{{Cite book| last1=Mackay |first1 = Charles |author-link=Charles Mackay (author) |title=The Thames and its tributaries; or, Rambles among the rivers| year=1840 |publisher=R. Bently |location=London |url=https://archive.org/stream/thamesitstributa01mackiala#page/340/mode/2up |page=341}}</ref>

[[St James's Church, Reading|St James's Church]] and School was built on a portion of the site of the abbey between 1837 and 1840.<ref>{{cite web|title=Church of St James', Reading|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-38939-church-of-st-james-reading|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=7 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=About the Nursery|url=http://www.forburygardensdaynursery.co.uk/about|publisher=Forbury Gardens Day Nursery|access-date=7 June 2011}}</ref> Its founder was James Wheble, who owned land in the area at that time. [[Reading (HM Prison)|Reading Gaol]] was built in 1844 on the eastern portion of the abbey site, replacing a small county Gaol on the same site. James Wheble sold the rest of his portion of the abbey site to Reading Corporation to create the [[Forbury Gardens]], which were opened in 1861.<ref name=stjames>{{cite web | url = http://www.jameswilliam-reading.org.uk/documents/StJamesChurch-avisitorsguide2007.pdf | title = St James Church – A guide for Visitors | publisher = St James Church | access-date = 24 October 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927231653/http://www.jameswilliam-reading.org.uk/documents/StJamesChurch-avisitorsguide2007.pdf | archive-date = 27 September 2007 }}</ref><ref name=hmpreading>{{cite web | url = http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/prisoninformation/locateaprison/prison.asp?id=625,15,2,15,625,0 | title = HM Prison Service – Reading | publisher = [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|United Kingdom Ministry of Justice]] | year = 2004 | access-date = 24 October 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014939/http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/prisoninformation/locateaprison/prison.asp?id=625%2C15%2C2%2C15%2C625%2C0 | archive-date = 28 September 2007 }}</ref><ref name=rbcfg>{{cite web | title = Forbury Gardens | publisher = Reading Borough Council | url = http://www.reading.gov.uk/leisureandculture/parksandopenspaces/fulllistofparksandopenspaces/General.asp?id=SX9452-A77F90A5 | date = 2000–2007 | access-date = 24 October 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090109230339/http://www.reading.gov.uk/leisureandculture/parksandopenspaces/fulllistofparksandopenspaces/General.asp?id=SX9452-A77F90A5 | archive-date = 9 January 2009 }}</ref>

==Abbey ruins==
[[File:Reading Abbey 03.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|The interior of the ruined [[chapter house]]]]
The inner rubble cores of the walls of many of the major buildings of the abbey still stand. The only parts of the Abbey Church that still exist are fragments of the piers of the central tower, together with parts of transepts, especially the south transept. In a range to the south of this transept are, in order, the remains of the [[vestry]], the [[chapter house]], the [[wikt:infirmary|infirmary]] passage and the ground floor of the [[dorter]] or monks dormitory and [[reredorter]] or toilet block. The best preserved of these ruins are those of the chapter house, which is [[apsidal]] and has a triple entrance and three great windows above. To the west of this range, the site of the [[cloister]] is laid out as a private garden and to the south is a surviving wall of the [[refectory]]. The ruins are Grade I [[listed building|listed]]<ref name=rbcsoec2>{{cite web | title = State of the Environment Report – Chapter 2 – The built environment and landscape | publisher = Reading Borough Council | url = http://www.reading.gov.uk/Documents/ourenvironment/stateoftheenvironment/Chap002_Built%20Environment.pdf | access-date = 23 April 2010 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060521063733/http://www.reading.gov.uk/Documents/ourenvironment/stateoftheenvironment/Chap002_Built%20Environment.pdf | archive-date = 21 May 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Ford | first = David Nash | work = Royal Berkshire History | publisher = Nash Ford Publishing | url = http://www.berkshirehistory.com/churches/reading_abbey_ruins.html | title = Ruins of Reading Abbey | access-date = 23 April 2010}}</ref> and a [[Scheduled monument]]<ref>{{NHLE |desc=Reading Abbey: a Cluniac and Benedictine monastery and Civil War earthwork |num=1007932 |access-date=5 December 2018 |ref=Reading Abbey: a Cluniac and Benedictine monastery and Civil War earthwork}}</ref>

===Restoration===
[[File:Reading Abbey restored arch.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Restoration of an arch done in 2004]]
Over the years the ruins have been repaired and maintained in a piecemeal fashion leading to their deterioration.<ref>{{cite news | first = Linda | last = Fort | title = Reading Abbey repair costs 'truly frightening' | work = getreading.co.uk | publisher = Reading Post – S&B media | date = 26 March 2010 | url = http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2068305_reading_abbey_repair_costs_truly_frightening}}</ref> In April 2008, the cloister arch, chapter house and treasury were closed to the public.<ref>{{cite news | title = Paths closed at ruins for repairs | work = getreading.co.uk | publisher = Reading Post – S&B media | date = 23 April 2008 | url = http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2026414_paths_closed_at_ruins_for_repairs}}</ref> Repair work began in March 2009 and was expected to take only a few weeks,<ref>{{cite news | title = Repair work starts on ancient ruins | work = getreading.co.uk | publisher = Reading Post – S&B media | date = 24 March 2009 | url = http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2047670_repair_work_starts_on_ancient_ruins}}</ref> but the entire site was instead closed in May 2009 due to the risk of falling masonry.<ref name="RC20100325">{{cite news | first = Adam | last = Hewitt | title = High cost of Abbey Ruins heritage | work = readingchronicle.co.uk | publisher = Berkshire Media Group | date = 25 March 2010 | url = http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/reading/articles/2010/03/25/45631-high-cost-of-abbey-ruins-heritage/}}</ref>

In late 2010, Reading Borough Council was reported as estimating that the ruins could cost £3m to repair, but it was also stated that the extent of the damage was yet to be determined. A survey was carried out in October 2010, using three-dimensional scans to build up a detailed view of each elevation, thus helping to identify the extent of the conservation required.<ref name=bbc20101021>{{cite news | title = Reading Abbey Ruins to be photographed by surveyors | first = Emma | last = Midgley | date = 21 October 2010 | access-date = 25 October 2010 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/berkshire/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_9113000/9113418.stm | work=BBC News}}</ref> In April 2011 plans for an £8m revamp were unveiled, with the aim to create an Abbey Quarter cultural area in Reading.<ref>{{cite news|title=Reading Abbey ruins £8m revamp plans unveiled|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-12955199|work=BBC News|access-date=7 June 2011|date=4 April 2011}}</ref> In June 2014 the Council secured initial funding from the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]] (HLF); more detailed plans for the project, Reading Abbey Revealed, were then developed and submitted to the HLF in September 2015.

In October 2014, a temporary scaffold roof, not visible from ground level, was installed on the Gateway to allow the building to dry out until funding for more permanent repairs was secured. The HLF confirmed that the second round application had been successful in December 2015.<ref name=vision>{{cite web|title=Reading Abbey Quarter - The Vision|publisher=Reading Museum|access-date=15 September 2016|url=http://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/get-involved/reading-abbey-quarter/}}</ref> The HLF supported the project with a grant of £1.77 million, with Reading Borough Council match funding of £1.38 million. Historic England provided additional grant funding for initial work to the Abbey gateway and the conservation of the refectory wall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Reading Abbey Re-Opened to the Public |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/in-your-area/south-east/reading-abbey-re-opened/ |website=Historic England |date=4 July 2018 |access-date=5 December 2018 |ref=Reading Abbey Re-Opened to the Public}}</ref> Work began in September 2016 and the ruins reopened to the public on 16 June 2018.<ref name=hlf>{{cite web|title=The HLF Project|publisher=Reading Museum|access-date=15 September 2016|url=http://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/get-involved/reading-abbey-quarter/reading-abbey-revealed/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What have we done? Reading Abbey Revealed project |url=https://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/about/reading-abbey-revealed-project/what-have-we-done |website=Abbey Quarter |date=22 May 2018 |publisher=Reading Borough Council |access-date=5 December 2018 |ref=What have we done? Reading Abbey Revealed project}}</ref>

===Hidden Abbey Project===
In spring 2014, historian-screenwriter [[Philippa Langley]], MBE, best known for her contribution to the exhumation of [[Richard III]] in 2012, together with local historians John and Lindsay Mullaney, put together a complementary effort called the Hidden Abbey Project (HAP). The goal of the HAP was to perform a modern comprehensive study, including a non-invasive analysis of the grounds using [[ground-penetrating radar]] (GPR).<ref name=Langley>{{cite web|last=Langley|first=Philippa|title=The Hidden Abbey Project|publisher=Reading's Hidden Abbey|access-date=15 September 2016|url=http://readingshiddenabbey.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-hidden-abbey-project-by-philippa.html}}</ref> The first phase of the GPR survey, focusing on the Abbey Church, St James’ Church, the Forbury Gardens, and the Reading Gaol car park, began in June 2016. Initial results indicate some potential grave sites behind the high altar in an apse at the east end of the Abbey. There are also some findings probably related to the Abbey's construction, as well as some other potential archaeological targets.<ref name=RBC>{{cite web|title=A Significant Next Step Towards Revealing King Henry I's Hidden Abbey|publisher=Reading Borough Council|date=12 September 2016|access-date=15 September 2016|url=http://www.reading.gov.uk/PRhiddenabbey|archive-date=19 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919212312/http://www.reading.gov.uk/PRhiddenabbey|url-status=dead}}</ref> News reports seized on the fact that the grave sites were found underneath the Ministry of Justice car park at Reading Gaol. Said the Telegraph:

<blockquote>Britain’s kings appear to be making a habit of this. First it was Richard III, whose bones were found under a car park in Leicester. Now it appears that Henry I may have met a similarly undignified fate.<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite news|last=Sawyer|first=Patrick|title=Another car park, another King: 'Henry I's remains' found beneath tarmac at Reading Gaol|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=13 September 2016|access-date=15 September 2016|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/13/another-car-park-another-king-henry-is-remains-found-beneath-tar/}}</ref><br />
</blockquote>

However, the borough council's press release stated, "The graves are located behind the High Altar in an apse at the east end of the Abbey. They are located east of the area where King Henry I's grave is believed to be. No direct connection between these features and King Henry can be made using these results alone."<ref name=RBC />

==Other remains==
Besides the ruins of the abbey itself, there are several other remains of the larger abbey complex still extant.

===Abbey Gateway===
[[File:Reading Abbey Gateway restored 2018-04-15 16.38.31.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|The [[Abbey Gateway, Reading|Abbey Gateway]] as restored in 2018]]
{{Main|Abbey Gateway, Reading}}
The Abbey's Inner Gateway, also known as the Abbey Gateway, adjoins [[Reading Crown Court]] and [[Forbury Gardens]]. It is one of only two abbey buildings that have survived intact, and is a [[grade I listed building]]. The Inner Gateway marked the division between the area open to the public and the section accessible only to monks. [[Hugh Faringdon]], the last abbot of Reading was hanged, drawn, and quartered outside the Abbey Gateway in 1539. The gateway survived because it was used as the entrance to the abbots' lodging, which was turned into a royal palace after the Dissolution. In the late 18th century, the gateway was used as part of the [[Reading Ladies' Boarding School]], attended amongst others by the novelist [[Jane Austen]].<ref name=innergateway>{{cite web |title=The Inner Gateway |url=http://readingabbey.org.uk/fora/lesabbey/innergateway.htm |publisher=The Friends of Reading Abbey |access-date=7 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825175435/http://readingabbey.org.uk/fora/lesabbey/innergateway.htm |archive-date=25 August 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=listed>{{cite web |title=Abbey Gate, Reading |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-38933-abbey-gate-reading |publisher=British Listed Buildings |access-date=7 June 2011 |archive-date=18 January 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118194121/http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-38933-abbey-gate-reading}}</ref><ref name=abbeygateway>{{cite web |last=Ford |first=David Nash |work=Royal Berkshire History |publisher=Nash Ford Publishing |url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/maps/reading_abbey/rdgab13.html |title=The Abbey Gateway |access-date=2 May 2009 |archive-date=7 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100207182216/http://www.berkshirehistory.com/maps/reading_abbey/rdgab13.html}}</ref><ref name=aqgate>{{cite web |url=https://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/gate |title=Abbey Gateway |work=readingabbeyquarter.org.uk |date=15 February 2018 |publisher=Reading Borough Council |access-date=31 January 2020 |archive-date=31 January 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131102720/https://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/gate}}</ref>

The gateway was [[Victorian restoration|heavily restored]] by Sir [[George Gilbert Scott]], after a partial collapse during a storm in 1861. It was extensively restored again after some decorative stonework came loose and fell into the street in 2010, reopening in 2018. The room above the gateway is now used by [[Reading Museum]] as part of its learning programme for local schools, whilst the arch below is available for use by pedestrian and cycle traffic.<ref name=aqgate/>

===Hospitium===
[[File:Hospitium of St John the Baptist.jpg|thumb|The former [[hospitium]]]]
{{Main|Hospitium of St John the Baptist}}
The abbey's [[hospitium]], or dormitory for pilgrims, also survives. Known as the ''Hospitium of St. John'' and founded in 1189, the surviving building is the main building of a larger range of buildings that could accommodate 400 people. Much of the remainder of this range of buildings was located where [[Reading Town Hall]] now stands. Today the surviving building occupies a rather isolated site, with no direct street access. It abuts the main concert hall of [[Reading Town Hall]] to the west, and the south of the building opens directly onto the churchyard of [[St Laurence's Church, Reading|St Laurence's Church]]. The building is surrounded to the north and east by a modern office development, with a small intermediate courtyard.<ref name=nfphpt>{{cite web | last = Ford | first = David Nash | work = Royal Berkshire History | publisher = Nash Ford Publishing | url = http://www.berkshirehistory.com/maps/reading_abbey/rdgab02.html | title = The Hospitium | access-date = 2 May 2009}}</ref>

===Abbey Mill and Holy Brook===
[[File:Abbey Mill Arch.jpg|thumb|right|Abbey Mill across the Holy Brook]]
{{Main|Holy Brook}}
Some remains of the former '''Abbey Mill''' are visible alongside the Holy Brook at the south of the abbey site; they consist of a ruined former [[watermill]] on the [[Holy Brook]], a channel of the [[River Kennet]]. The ruins are [[grade II listed]].<ref name=he>{{cite web |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1113390 |title=Abbey Mill Ruins, Reading |publisher=[[Historic England]] |accessdate=24 January 2020  |archivedate=3 February 2020 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203112314/https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1113390}}</ref> It is situated just to the south of the ruins of the Abbey itself.<ref name=tale/> The [[water mill]] originally belonged to Reading Abbey, whose monks are believed to have created the Holy Brook as a water supply to this and other mills owned by them and to the abbey's [[fish pond]]s.<ref>{{cite web | last = Ford | first = David Nash | work = Royal Berkshire History | publisher = Nash Ford Publishing | url = http://www.berkshirehistory.com/maps/reading_abbey/rdgab14.html | title = The Abbey Mill Arch | access-date = 2 May 2009}}</ref><ref name=  "  tale">{{cite book | title = The Holy Brook or The Granators Tale | first1 = Adam | last1 = Sowan | last2 = Castle |first2 = Sally |last3 = Hay |first3 = Peter | publisher = Two Rivers Press | year = 2003 | isbn = 978-1-901677-34-8}}</ref>

The mill was built straddling the Holy Brook which marked the southern boundary of the monastic enclosure. It continued to grind corn into the 1950s. Today, all that remains is a section of wall, pierced by three arches. The wall is built of [[flint]] with [[caen stone]] [[ashlar]] dressings and brick filling. The two side arches are round headed, whilst the centre arch over the Holy Brook is larger and pointed.<ref name=he/><ref name=corpus>{{cite web|title=READING ABBEY MILLS, BERKSHIRE |url=http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/ed/be/ramil/index.htm |publisher=The Corpus of ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE in Britain and Ireland |accessdate=2007-10-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050414001348/http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/ed/be/ramil/index.htm |archive-date=April 14, 2005 }}</ref>

The Holy Brook is a {{convert|6|mi}} long, largely artificial, watercourse which flows out of the [[River Kennet]] near the village of [[Theale]], passes just to the south of the Abbey, and returns to its parent river just downstream of the Abbey Mill.<ref name=  "  tale" />

==Open-air theatre and performance==
The ruins of Reading Abbey have a history of live performance. From early impromptu artist-led events, the site has established a history of open-air theatre.

In the late 1980s, the food art and performance collective La Grande Bouche organised a cabaret under marquee in the ruins. The evening offered music and performance acts combined with food, much of which cooked by contributing performers.{{citation needed | date = April 2010}}

In 1994, a large scale performance event "From the Ruins"<ref name="From the Ruins">[https://vimeo.com/15292692 Andrew Lewis. Video of 1994 performance 'From the Ruins', shot on Hi-8, later digitised]</ref> was held in the abbey ruins, the finale event for the "Art in Reading" (AIR) festival, funded in part by [[Reading Borough Council]].  This was organised by and featured a large number of artists and performers living or working in Reading,<ref name="ftr-artists">[https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosemarybeetle/3856636592/in/set-72157611592536780/ Contributing organisations to From the Ruins as listed in contemporary project documentation in 1994]</ref> and combined specially created music, dance, paintings, poetry and culminated in a spectacular evening performance involving large scale puppetry and pyrotechnics loosely based upon the history of Reading Abbey from the foundation by Henry I through the rise of the merchant classes to the dissolution and eventual sacking of the Abbey under Henry VIII.

In 1995, the ruined South Transept was used as the setting for the first Abbey Ruins Open Air Shakespeare production by MDM Productions and [[Progress Theatre]] in partnership with Reading Borough Council. In 1996, the outdoor production moved to the ruined chapter house and since 1999 has been staged by Progress Theatre in partnership with Reading Borough Council. This annual event expanded to the "Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival" in 2007. Because of the access limitations during the restoration project, the 2009 and 2010 festivals could not be held, and the event has since relocated to the gardens of [[Caversham Court]].<ref name=arfest>{{cite web |url=http://www.abbeyruins.com/history.html |title=Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival: History |publisher=Progress Theatre |access-date=14 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106010819/http://www.abbeyruins.com/history.html |archive-date=6 January 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://progresstheatre.co.uk/about-us |title=About Progress Theatre |publisher=Progress Theatre |access-date=6 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206155857/http://progresstheatre.co.uk/about-us |archive-date=6 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> "Shakespeare in the Ruins" returned to the Chapter House in July 2018 after the ruins reopened to the public after extensive conservation in June 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Progress Theatre - Much Ado About Nothing |url=https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/progress-theatre-much-ado-about-nothing |website=Reading Museum |publisher=Reading Borough Council |access-date=5 December 2018 |ref=Progress Theatre - Much Ado About Nothing}}</ref>

==Abbots==
[[File:Hugh Faringdon plaque, English Martyrs Church, Liebenhood Road, Reading - geograph.org.uk - 1769778.jpg|thumb|Plaque of Hugh III (Cook, alias Faringdon), the last Abbot]]
As an abbey, Reading was ruled by an [[abbot]]. The abbey had 27 abbots between 1123 and 1539.<ref name="kemp">{{cite book|last=Kemp|first=Brian R.|title=Reading Abbey – An Introduction to the History of the Abbey|year=1968|publisher=Reading Museum and Art Gallery|location=Reading, Berkshire}}</ref><ref name=rbhabrdg>{{cite web |url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/abbots_reading.html |title=Abbots of Reading, Berkshire |author=Ford, David Nash |year=2001 |work=Royal Berkshire History |publisher=Nash Ford Publishing |access-date=28 December 2010}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="float:left; margin-right:1em"
|-
! Abbot !! Years
|-
| [[Hugh of Amiens|Hugh I (of Amiens)]] || 1123–1130
|-
| Anscher || 1130–1135
|-
| Edward || 1136–1154
|-
| Reginald || 1154–1158
|-
| Roger || 1158–1165
|-
| William I || 1165–1173
|-
| Joseph || 1173–1186
|-
| Hugh II || 1186–1199
|-
| Helias || 1199–1213
|-
| Simon || 1213–1226
|-
| [[Adam de Lathbury|Adam (of Lathbury)]] || 1226–1238
|-
| Richard I (of Chichester) || 1238–1262
|-
| Richard II (of Reading, alias Bannister) || 1262–1269
|-
| Robert (of Burgate) || 1269–1290
|-
| William II (of Sutton) || 1290–1305
|-
| Nicholas (of Whaplode) || 1305–1328
|-
| John I (of Appleford) || 1328–1342
|-
| [[Henry of Appleford|Henry (of Appleford)]] || 1342–1361
|-
| William III (of Dombleton) || 1361–1369
|-
| John II (of Sutton) || 1369–1378
|-
| Richard III (of Yately) || 1378–1409
|-
| Thomas I (Earley) || 1409–1430
|-
| Thomas II (Henley) || 1430–1445
|-
| John II (Thorne I) || 1446–1486
|-
| John III (Thorne II) || 1486–1519
|-
| Thomas III (Worcester) || 1519–1520
|-
| [[Hugh Faringdon|Hugh III (Cook, alias Faringdon)]] || 1520–1539
|}{{clear left}}

==Notable burials==
*[[Henry I of England|King Henry I]]
*[[Anne de Beauchamp, 15th Countess of Warwick]]
*[[Constance of York]]
*[[Henry fitzGerold]]
*[[Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall]]
*[[Warin II fitzGerold]]
*[[William IX, Count of Poitiers|William of Poitiers]]

==See also==
*[[Isle of May Priory]], a community of nine Benedictine monks from Reading Abbey that was founded in 1153 on the remote [[Isle of May]] in the [[Firth of Forth]] under the patronage of [[David I of Scotland]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last1=Durrant|first1=Peter|last2=Painter|first2=John|title=Reading Abbey and the Abbey Quarter|year=2018|publisher=Two Rivers Press|location=Reading, Berkshire|isbn=978-1909747395}}
*{{cite book|last=Baxter|first=Ron|title=The Royal Abbey of Reading|year=2016|publisher=Boydel & Brewer|isbn=978-1-78327-084-2|location=Woodbridge, Suffolk}}
*{{cite book|last=Mullaney|first=John R.|title=Reading's Abbey Quarter: An Illustrated History|year=2014|publisher=Scallop Shell Press|location=Reading, Berkshire|isbn=978-0957277274}}
*{{cite book|last=Cram|first=Leslie|title=Reading Abbey|year=1988|publisher=Reading Museum and Art Gallery|isbn=978-0-9501247-8-0|location=Reading, Berkshire}}
*{{cite book|last=Kemp|first=Brian R.|title=Reading Abbey: An Introduction to the History of the Abbey|year=1968|publisher=Reading Museum and Art Gallery|location=Reading, Berkshire}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk Reading Abbey Quarter]
* [http://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/blog/reading-abbey Reading Museum blog posts on Reading Abbey]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12673a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Reading Abbey]
* [http://www.readingabbey.org.uk Friends of Reading Abbey] 
* [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/churches/reading_abbey.html Royal Berkshire History: Reading Abbey]
* [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/kids/reading_abbey.html RBH for Kids: Reading Abbey]

{{Benedictine houses of England and Wales}}
{{Listed buildings in Reading}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cluniac monasteries in England]]
[[Category:Benedictine monasteries in England]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic churches in Reading, Berkshire|Abbey]]
[[Category:Monasteries in Berkshire]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Reading|Abbey]]
[[Category:Grade I listed monasteries]]
[[Category:History of Reading, Berkshire]]
[[Category:Ruins in Berkshire]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Reading, Berkshire]]
[[Category:1538 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:Christian monasteries established in the 1120s]]
[[Category:Gates in England]]
[[Category:1121 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Ruined abbeys and monasteries]]
[[Category:Grade I listed churches in Berkshire]]
[[Category:Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation]]
[[Category:Burial sites of the House of Plantagenet]]
[[Category:Henry I of England]]
[[Category:Burial sites of the House of Normandy]]