Reading Abbey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 The ruined south transept
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | The Abbey of Reading, dedicated to the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist |
| Order | Cluniac |
| Established | June 1121 |
| Disestablished | 1539 |
| People | |
| Important associated figures | Henry I of England Hugh Cook of Faringdon |
| Site | |
| Location | Reading, Berkshire, UK |
| Visible Remains | Inner rubble cores of the walls of the major buildings; gateway and hospitium intact |
| Public Access | Yes, now public park |
Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors and successors".[1]
King Henry I is buried in the abbey grounds.[1]
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[edit] History
Following its royal foundation, the abbey was established by a party of monks from the French abbey of Cluny, 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.[2] The first abbot, in 1123, was Hugh of Amiens[3] 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". The adjacent rivers provided convenient transport, and the abbey established wharves on the River Kennet. The Kennet also provided power for the abbey water mills, most of which were established on the Holy Brook, a channel of the Kennet of uncertain origin.[1]
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. Other royal persons buried in the abbey include parts of Empress Matilda, William of Poitiers, and Constance of York.
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 relics including the hand of St James. A shriveled human hand was found in the ruins during demolition work in 1786 and is now in St Peter's RC Church, Marlow. The song Sumer is icumen in, which was first written down in the abbey about 1240, is the earliest known four part harmony from Britain. The original document is held in the British Library.
Reading Abbey was frequently visited by kings and others, most especially by 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 and the Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1185, the weddings of John of Gaunt in 1359 and Edward IV in 1464, and a meeting of Parliament in 1453.[4]
The abbey was largely destroyed in 1538 during Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. The last abbot, Hugh Cook 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.[1]
St James' Roman Catholic Church was built on a portion of the site of the abbey between 1837 and 1840. Its founder was James Wheble, who owned land in the area at that time. 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.[5][6][7]
[edit] Remains
The inner rubble cores of the walls of the major buildings of the abbey still stand, and in recent years have been conserved and stabilised. These are normally accessible to the public as part of the Forbury Gardens, a town centre park. However there are currently fears over the stability of the Cloister Arch, and as a result parts of the ruins are closed to the public at present.[8]
The inner gateway of the abbey survives intact, though heavily 'restored' in the Victorian era, and now stands adjoining the Reading crown court and a large commercial office building, overlooking Forbury Gardens.[9]
Similarly the abbey's hospitium, or dormitory for pilgrims, survives. The abbey school, which was founded in 1125, moved into the hospitium in 1485 as the Royal Grammar School of King Henry VII , and still survives as a state grammar school called Reading School, albeit in different buildings on a different site. After various other uses, the hospitium has now been incorporated into an office development, and is occupied by a children's nursery.[10]
Some remains of the former Abbey Mill still remain alongside the Holy Brook at the south of the abbey site.[11]
The remains of the abbey are Grade I listed. The grave of Henry I is marked by a plaque near its original location but no other graves are marked. Plaques have also now been placed on the walls of the chapter house to cite certain events there.
[edit] Open air theatre
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.[12]
Because of the current access limitations, the 2009 Open Air Festival will be held in the former monk's dormitory, rather than the adjacent chapter house. The main production will be William Shakespeare's Hamlet.[8][13]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d The staff of the Trust for Wessex Archeology and Reading Museum and Art Gallery (1983). Reading Abbey Rediscovered, a summary of the Abbey's history and recent archaeological excavations. Trust for Wessex Archeology.
- ^ Charles Tomkins, Views of Reading abbey, with those of the churches originally connected with it, 1805
- ^ C. Warren Hollister, Henry I (2001), p. 282-3.
- ^ Slade, Cecil (2001). The Town of Reading and its Abbey. MRM Associates Ltd. pp. 6-7. ISBN 0-9517719-4-9.
- ^ "St James Church - A guide for Visitors" (PDF). St James Church. http://www.jameswilliam-reading.org.uk/documents/StJamesChurch-avisitorsguide2007.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ "HM Prison Service - Reading". United Kingdom Ministry of Justice. 2004. http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/prisoninformation/locateaprison/prison.asp?id=625,15,2,15,625,0. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ "Forbury Gardens". Reading Borough Council. 2000-2007. http://www.reading.gov.uk/leisureandculture/parksandopenspaces/fulllistofparksandopenspaces/General.asp?id=SX9452-A77F90A5. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ a b "The Abbey Ruins". Reading Abbey Ruins Open-Air Festival. http://www.abbeyruins.com/abbeyruins.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
- ^ Ford, David Nash. "The Abbey Gateway". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. http://www.berkshirehistory.com/maps/reading_abbey/rdgab13.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
- ^ Ford, David Nash. "The Hospitium". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. http://www.berkshirehistory.com/maps/reading_abbey/rdgab02.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
- ^ Ford, David Nash. "The Abbey Mill Arch". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. http://www.berkshirehistory.com/maps/reading_abbey/rdgab14.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
- ^ "Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival: History". Progress Theatre. http://www.abbeyruins.com/history.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
- ^ "History". Reading Abbey Ruins Open-Air Festival. http://www.abbeyruins.com/history.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Reading Abbey |
- Catholic Encyclopedia: Reading Abbey
- Friends of Reading Abbey
- Royal Berkshire History: Reading Abbey
- RBH for Kids: Reading Abbey
- Reading Museum Service: Reading Abbey
Coordinates: 51°27′22.85″N 0°57′54.31″W / 51.4563472°N 0.9650861°W
