EADING 2018 6Th - 9Th & 13Th - 16Th September

EXPLORING

EADING 2018 6th - 9th & 13th - 16th September

brating Cele 100 rage Yea Suff rs of Women’s 4 21

CAVERSHAM COURT GARDENS TOURS b e ST PETER’S ele rati g CHURCH C ng 1 ffra 00 Y ’s Su ears of Women 5 Centre for Heritage and Family History Thinking about starting to research your family history? Already begun but hit a brick wall? Need some help progressing or organising your research? Newly opened this year, the Centre for Heritage and Family History can help you discover who your ancestors were, wherever in the world they came from. Cakes available with hot and cold drinks. Centre for Heritage and Family History, 2nd Floor Reading Central Library, Abbey Square, Reading RG1 3BQ • Friday 7th: 10:30-16:00 • Thursday 13th: 10:30-16:00 • Saturday 8th: 10:30-16:00 • Saturday 15th: 10:30-16:00

6 Christ Church Reading Magnificent Victorian Gothic church, designed by Henry Woodyer and consecrated in 1862. The church and church’s garden will be open across the weekend 12 with refreshments available. Services on Sunday at 08:00, 10:00 and 18:00, all welcome. There is also an opportunity to hear the choir sing a traditional ABBEY MALMAISON 2 10 25 GATEWAY service of choral evensong – 18:00 on Sunday. 6th - 9th & 13th - 16th HOTEL 19 Christ Church, Christchurch Road, Reading RG2 7AR 1 18 9 FATHER • Saturday 8th: 12:00-17:00 WILLLIS 7 ORGAN DEMOS 26 • Sunday 9th: 12:00-19:00 VICTORIAN September SCHOOLROOM EXPERIENCE 7 Welcome to an eight-day celebration of Father Willis Organ Demonstrations Reading’s heritage across two consecutive Free talk and demonstration of the historic Father Willis CENTRE FOR Organ in an hour long session. Led by members of weekends. Take advantage of the jam-packed HERITAGE AND 5 FAMILY HISTORY the Berkshire Organists’ Association, followed by an programme of free talks, walks, activities, opportunity for members of the public to play the instrument. and special openings. 13 Reading Museum & Town Hall, Blagrave Street, 20 Reading RG1 1QH You will find full details online ST. MARYS READING CHURCH RUSSELL ST/ • Saturday 8th: 11:00-12:00 SYNAGOGUE heritageopendays.org.uk CASTLE HILL 16 23 CONSERVATION For further information email: [email protected] Please check full details for each event/venue, including AREA WATLINGTON access, before travelling as many require pre-booking. 28 HOUSE 8 Green Park Wind Turbine Tours Some events are for adults only. TERRY’S – SPECIAL Visit this landmark site, learn all about the turbine, 22 ‘VOTE 100’ RISC EDIBLE WALKABOUT 14 ROOF what it is, what it does and how it works on this free GARDEN 1 Abbey Gateway Drop-in tour. Max 60 people. Wear appropriate clothing as 1 tours are outdoors. Take a peek inside the newly restored 27 Green Park Wind Turbine, Reading RG2 6GP medieval Abbey Gateway (max 30 people, may be a short wait). Admire the recent • Sunday 9th: 10:00 • Sunday 16th: 10:00 BERKSHIRE conservation work undertaken as part of the READING’S MEDICAL 15 Booking essential: 07792 158530 Reading Abbey Revealed Project. Visit Reading IDR THE 24 HERITAGE MUSEUM [email protected] 17 ACACIAS Museum for an introduction to the site, access nrgreduced.com the Abbey Gateway via the Forbury Gardens. Reading Abbey Gateway, Abbots Walk, ST GILES CHURCH 9 Greyfriars Church Reading RG1 3HW 3 Built in 1311, the main elements of Greyfriars survive Saturday 8th: 12:30-14:00 MUSEUM OF RURAL LIFE to this day as the most complete example of Franciscan architecture in Britain, and the oldest still being used 2 Abbey Quarter Sculpture Walk 11 for worship. In 1863, it was restored as a church by the Love art? Curious about public sculpture? Join Elaine Victorians and has been in use ever since. Learn about Blake for a free walk (max 15 people) through the Forbury its history and its use today. Guided and self-guided and the Abbey Ruins which are full of sculptures, both tours. Max 5 people per 30 minute tour. ancient and modern. Not all of the works are complete; Greyfriars Christian Centre, 64 Friar Street, come and find out what the artists intended and why the Reading RG1 1EH sculptures are there. Starting from the Museum entrance. • Friday 14th: 12:00 - 16:00 Reading Museum Service, Town Hall, Blagrave Street, • Saturday 15th: 10:00 - 16:00 Reading RG1 1QH • Sunday 16th: 14:00 - 16:00 Friday 14th: 11:00 10 Booking essential: 0118 937 3400 readingmuseum.org.uk Industrial Reading – A History Tour A slow and steady walking tour (11/2 - 2 hours) involving stops at many industrial 3 Berkshire Record Office sites in Central Reading, ranging from medieval to twentieth-century, particularly CHRIST 6 Take a look behind the scenes at the Berkshire Record Office, the archives CHURCH those along and near to the Kennet Navigation. Reading came to fame from of the Royal County of Berkshire, and find out more about what they do 8 textiles as well as engineering, agriculture, and printing. Max 20 people per tour. (max 12 people per session). Discover how Reading made links with Dusseldorf Meet by the Queen Victoria statue, next to Reading Town Hall.

with a talk from the Reading Dusseldorf Association. Tour lasts 45 minutes to an hour. GREEN PARK Town Hall, Blagrave Street, Reading RG1 1QH 9 Coley Avenue, Reading RG1 6AF WIND TURBINE • Thursday 6th: 17:00 • Thursday 13th: 17:00 No booking required Saturday 8th: 10:00 -12:00 11 Booking essential: 0118 937 5132 [email protected] berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk Museum of Rural Life Join us for this special guided tour introducing some Extraordinary Women who have contributed to 4 the MERL’s historic stories and the University of Reading collections. Tour 1: The Extraordinary Women Caversham Court Gardens Tours gallery tour (1 hour). Tour 2: The archive tour and pop-ups (30 minutes plus time to view the display). Take a tour of the historic gardens and fine specimen trees, and visit the listed 17th century 6 Redlands Road, Reading RG1 5EX summer house to see an exhibition about Extraordinary Women of Caversham. Sensory tours for visually or hearing impaired people are available on request, run by experienced guides EXPLORING • Thursday 6th: 09:00 - 17:00 • Thursday 13th: 09:00 - 17:00 from the Friends of Caversham Court Gardens. Charity-run Tea Kiosk open on site. Tour 1: 10:30 and 14:30, Tour 2: 12:00 Tour 1: 10:30 and 14:30, Tour 2: 12:00 Caversham Court Gardens, Church Road, Caversham, Reading RG4 7AD • Friday 7th: 09:00 - 17:00 • Friday 14th: 09:00 - 17:00

2018 Tour 1: 14:30 • Saturday 8th: 10:00 - 17:00 Saturday 8th: 14:00 -17:00 for guided tours EADING • Sunday 9th: 10:00 - 17:00 Sunday 9th: 14:00-17:00 for guided tours Booking essential: merl.reading.ac.uk Tour 1: 10:30 EXPLORING

Heritage Open Days 6th- 9th & 13th - 16th September

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e g b n r i a t 12 Malmaison Hotel 18 Scrambling into Education: The Reading Way 24 The Acacias and Britain’s Grade II Listed Create your own printed postcard from the world’s reputedly oldest Join our free Jane Austen themed Abbey Gateway tour First Female Professor (max 15 people – 1 hour) to find out about Jane’s only period of surviving railway hotel. Completed in 1844, the hotel is likely to have Learn about an extraordinary woman, Edith Morley, suffragist, formal education, at Reading Ladies Boarding School, which took been designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The Jelly artists will be Britain’s first female professor & supporter of refugees, and place in the Gateway. Find out what the school was like and what on hand for a free family activity, celebrating the railway heritage of the stroll through the cloisters to the café. Not normally open to sort of place Reading was in the 1780s. Starting in the Story of hotel and Reading-on-Thames by creating postcards using letterpress the public, visitors will be able to visit the Senior Common Reading Gallery at Reading Museum. stamps and specially created stamps. Max 12 people per session. Room in this Grade II listed building, take part in one of the Malmaison Hotel, Great Western House, 18-20 Station Road, • Saturday 15th: 11:00 lawn games or simply relax in a ‘Gentleman’s Club’ chair. Reading RG1 1JX Booking essential: 0118 937 3400 The Acacias, University of Reading London Road Campus, • Saturday 8th: 12:00 -16:30 readingmuseum.org.uk London Road, Reading RG1 5AQ Booking essential:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/print-a- • Saturday 8th: 12:00 - 18:00 • Saturday 15th: 12:00 - 18:00 postcard-of-reading-on-thames-tickets-46828740022 19 St James’ Church • Sunday 9th: 12:00 - 18:00 • Sunday 16th: 12:00 - 18:00 Grade II St James’ is in the heart of Reading, situated next to the 13 Listed Reading Synagogue refurbished Abbey ruins. A living successor to the ancient Catholic 25 Victorian Architecture in the Reading A traditional synagogue in a Moorish style opened on 31st October Benedictine church which was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1539. Abbey Quarter St James has some magnificent 19th century glass attributable 1900 and still in regular use. Visitors will be able to view a traditional New buildings continued to spring up within the Abbey Quarter synagogue which has recently undergone full restoration of the roof to William Warington and an example of glass from the Clarke’s of Dublin studio. Mass is at Friday 12:15-13:00, all welcome. long after the dissolution of Reading Abbey in 1539. This new and cupola as a result of a substantial grant. There will also be an free specialist tour explores local works and the legacy of three opportunity to view items of Judaica. Allow between 30 - 90 minutes. Illustrated talks (14:00 both days), with music from the early days of Reading Abbey. eminent Victorian architects, Alfred Waterhouse, A.W.N. Pugin Reading Hebrew Congregation, 7 Goldsmid Road, and George Gilbert-Scott. This tour (max 15 people) will last Reading RG1 7YB Forbury Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3HW around 1 hour and 15 minutes. Starting in the Story of Reading • Friday 14th: 11:00 - 16:00, Talk 14:00 Gallery at Reading Museum. • Sunday 16th: 11:00 - 14:00 © John R Mullaney FSAI • Saturday 15th: 11:00 - 16:00, Talk 14:00 Reading Museum Service, Town Hall, Blagrave Street,

14 Reading RG1 1QH

September RISC Edible Roof Garden

20 • Thursday 13th: 11:00 & 14:00

Small edible roof forest garden developed to demonstrate St Mary’s Church th th 16 - th 13 & th 9 - th 6 sustainability and our dependence on plants. All plants in the Late 18th century chapel with interesting interior and history. Booking essentail: 0118 937 3400 EADING garden have an economic use. Demonstration of renewable energy, Visitors free to explore church with guides available. Special readingmuseum.org.uk

water harvesting and irrigation systems. Garden accessed by steep exhibits this year on ‘Women Missionaries’ and ‘Light of the 2018

external staircase. World’. View a selection of the extensive find of pots dating back 26 to the C18th County Gaol period of the site, together with the Victorian Schoolroom Experience in EXPLORING 35-39 London Street, Reading RG1 4PS archaeologist’s report. the Abbey Gateway • Saturday 15th: 12:00 - 16:00 14 Castle Street, Reading RG1 7RD Meet a Victorian schoolteacher and re-learn the ‘3Rs’, in the • Thursday 6th & 13th: 10:00 - 14:00 Abbey Gateway. A 45-minute experience (max 35) for adults 15 Royal Berkshire Hospital Medical Museum and children over 5 in our unique Victorian classroom, now in • Friday 7th & 14th: 10:00 - 14:00 The thematically arranged collection covers topics as anaesthetics, the brand new setting of the historic Abbey Gateway. Just a pharmacy, general and specialist (including war) surgery, dentistry, • Saturday 8th & 15th: 09:00 - 18:00 five minute walk from Reading Museum and opposite the blood transfusion and alternative medicine and includes a wide lovely Forbury Gardens. variety of historic instruments, equipment, documents and other 21 St Peter’s Church, Caversham Reading Abbey Gateway, Abbots Walk, Reading RG1 3HW objects representing the general and local history of medicine Explore the parish church of Caversham (max 30 people – • Saturday 8th: 11:00 & 14:30 mainly from about 1800 onwards, but with some from earlier 30 minutes) and learn about its history. The earliest surviving part Booking essential: 0118 937 3400 periods. (max 40 people, 30-60 minutes). was built around 1162, with additions in the later medieval period. readingmuseum.org.uk Royal Berkshire Hospital, London Road, Reading RG1 5AN Much of the present building dates from the restoration and • Saturday 8th: 14:00 - 16:30 enlargement by Morris & Stallwood (1878-80), extended by Ninian 27 • Sunday 9th: 14:00 - 16:30 Comper (1924-5) and a variety of stained glass by Warrington, A Walk Around Reading’s IDR Clayton & Bell, Powell and Comper. This circular walk (max 12 -3 hours) around Reading’s iconic • Saturday 15th: 14:00 - 16:30 St Peter’s Church, The Warren, Caversham, Reading RG4 7AQ Inner Distribution Road will set the road in its historical context • Sunday 16th: 14:00 - 16:30 • Saturday 8th: 10:00 - 18:00 of 1970s town planning and discover what lies beneath. Appreciate the road itself and the important historical sites • Sunday 9th: Open for services as usual 16 Russell St / Castle Hill Conservation Area on route. There will be a break for refreshments during the walk. Advised to bring water. This brisk walking tour (max 15 people - 90 minutes) of the 22 Conservation Area, takes you to the west of the Inner Distribution Terry’s Special ‘Vote 100’ Walkabout Meet at the Premier Inn /Evans Cycles, Reading RG1 2HN Road and will cover the Georgian and Victorian development of WALK 1 • Sunday 16th: 11:00 - 14:00 Reading as well as how the earlier historic street lines have defined 1 mile walk (max 20 people – 11/2 - 2 hours) visiting places in Booking essential: eventbrite.co.uk the layout today. There is an opportunity to view an old photo Reading town centre associated with the 12 Women/Ladies archive of the area. Grade II Famous/Not so Famous of Reading that the talk is based on. 28 Listed The Oasis, 21 Baker Street, Reading RG1 7XT Watlington House 6–16 September 2018 Outside Talbot House, 55 Castle Street, Reading RG1 7SN • Thursday 6th: 14:00 - 15:30 A rare opportunity to see parts of the house & private garden • Saturday 15th: 10:30 - 12:00 • Thursday 6th: 10:00 - 12:00 (renovated 2015). Watlington House is one of Reading’s oldest buildings dating back to 1500. Exhibitions include; Women Booking essential: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/russell-st-castle- 23 WALK 2 in Milling by the Mills Archive, the garden refurbishment, hill-conservation-area-under-threat-a-walk-tickets-47846929454 2 mile walk (max 20 people – 13/4 - 21/4 hours) visiting places in displays by tenants Chris Weston Architect and Reserve Forces 07802 763289 [email protected] Reading town centre associated with 19 Famous/Not so Famous Employment Association. Members of the Trust will be on site to Women/Ladies of Reading. This is a stand alone walk and you do explain its history, its uses past and present and the challenges 17 St Giles Church not need to have completed Walk 1 first. of owning and maintaining this fascinating building. Watlington House Trust, Watlington House, View one of the three medieval churches in Reading. The original Outside The Horn Pub in the Butts, 2 Castle Street, St. Giles was built in the twelfth century, in 1191 Pope Clement III Reading RG1 2LS 44 Watlington Street, Reading RG1 4RJ gave the church to Reading Abbey. In the second half of the • Thursday 13th: 10:00 - 12:00 • Saturday 8th: 09:30-16:00 nineteenth century, the Catholic Revival began to influence the watlingtonhouse.org.uk/history life and work of what was a very populous parish. Both walks finish close to a relevant place to the walk for lunch. St. Giles Church, Southampton Street, Reading RG1 2QP Arrive 5-10 mins prior to starting time. Donations welcome – • Thursday 6th & 13th: 11:00 - 15:00 all proceeds raised will support Berkshire Women’s Aid (BWA). • Friday 7th & 14th: 11:00 - 16:00 Booking essential: 07505 351517 Getting Around • Saturday 8th & 15th: 10:00 - 17:00 [email protected] • Sunday 9th & 16th: 12:00 - 14:00 Travelling by bus? Happy A rich tapestry of artists and performers, venues and Check out the route number for each event Exploring! unusual outdoor sites. Enjoy exhilarating experiences ing brat 100 e reading-buses.co.uk and unexpected encounters. ele Ye rag C ars o Suff Circus | music | walks | talks | family activities | food | f Women’s Many of the venues are within Reading Town Centre and film | theatre | heritage | photography | illuminations are in easy walking/cycling distance of each other. Facebook.com/readingheritageopendays @LivingRdgEvents livingreading.co.uk heritageopendays.org.uk readybike.co.uk Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of going to print. For full access information it is recommended that you contact venues before visiting. www.readingonthamesfestival.org

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www.readingonthamesfestival.org

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