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154

READING.

B E R K S H IR E .

[ k e l l y ’s

w estern gable bell-cote w ith one b e ll: the font is form ed library, 48ft. by 42ft. com prising also a general reading
from a square block of oolitic lim estone, found within and studen ts’ room. The entrance to the M useum and
the lim its of the F orb u ry in 1835, the up p er p art of A rt G alleries is by a staircase leading from th e v e sti­
w hich form s a square of 27 inches, and has a deeply-cut bule of the P ub lic Library. Th e M useum contains the
chain-like p attern of stem s and foliage running con­ m agnificent S ilch ester collection, being the resu lt of
tin u o u sly along its four sides: below this, and at each the excavations carried out at Silchester— the site
corner, are rem ains of carved capitals, exqu isitely of the Rom ano-B ritish city of C alleva A trebatum , where
w rou gh t w ith w reaths and intertw ining k n o ts ; in the the whole of the c ity of over 100 acres has been u n ­
p resbytery are preserved a seal belonging to one of the earthed ; the collection contains arch itectural rem ains,
abbots, and a m assive iron k ey, found in the abbey hundreds of vessels in pottery, iron work in great
gro u n d s: in 1883 th e san ctuary was decorated in colour, variety, household utensils, and ornam ents, for per­
under the direction of Mr. Philip W estlake, of London: sonal and household use, in gold, silver and bronze,
the church has about 250 sittings. The C atholic C hurch illu strative ot the every day life of the people of Calleva
of St. W illiam of Y o rk , in Upper Redlands road, is a in th at by-gone age of Roman rule. The predom inant
sm all edifice of brick, opened in 1906, and w ill seat feature of the General M useum is local archaeology ;
each age from the E arly Stone A ge is represented by
about 200 persons.
numerous relics found in the lo cality. The N atural
C aversham Road Presbyterian ch urch , b uilt in 1902 at H istory departm ent includes collections of birds, m am ­
a cost of £5,500, is of red brick w ith stone dressings, in m als, butterflies and m oths, chiefly from R eadin g and
th e Perpendicular style, and consists of a nave and district.
The A rt G alleries include exam ples of the
aisles, divided by an arcading on stone colum ns, and a works of Van Dyck, K n eller, L ely, G ainsborough, C uyp,
tow er w ith spire 80 feet in h eig h t at the south-east Wilson, Zuccarelli, W olverm an, Holl and Burgess. On
a n g le : there are sittin gs for 520 persons.
the walls of the C ouncil cham ber and in other parts of
The Hebrew Synagogue was opened in Novem ber, the b uildin g are portraits of Mr. Richard A ldw orth,
1900, by Sir Sam uel M ontagu b art. and consecrated by the founder of the Blue C oat school ; Sir Thom as W hite,
late V ery Rev. D r. H erm ann A dler L L .D . Chief Rabbi, Lord M ayor of London in 1553, born at R eading in
and Dr. H erm ann G ollancz M .A .: the building, of which 1492; Sir Thom as Rich bart. of Sunning, ob. 15 Oct.
the p rincipal entrance is in G oldsm id road, Russell 1667 ; Archbishop Laud, executed 10 Jan. 1645 ; W .
street, is of brick and stone in the M oresque style, and Stephens esq. H igh Sheriff ; Mr. John Kendrick, a local
has a dom ed fleche on the roof and several stained benefactor, ob. 1624; and S ir Thom as Noon Talfourd
windows: the seats are of polished oak, and the A rk , on kt. some tim e M .P. for R eading, and Justice of the
th e east side of w hich are th e w ardens’ pews, is w h ite : Common Pleas, who died on the Bench at Stafford, 13
this synagogue has been registered as a place of worship M arch, 1854, while delivering his charge to the Grand
J u ry ; Mr. Isaac H arrison, surgeon, late of R eadin g;
and is licensed for the solem nization of m arriages.
and the la te W illiam Isaac Palm er, well known as a
There are four C ongregational, seven B aptist, three tem perance advocate and philanthropist, who con­
W esleyan, two Presbyterian, one U nitarian, and five trib u ted about £25,000 towards the new p u b lic b u ild ­
P rim itive M ethodist chapels, a F riends’ m eeting house, ings. The m unicipal insignia include a m ace, m ayor’s
a room where the B reth ren m eet, and Salvation A rm y ch«in and badge, wardens' badges, two tipped staves,
B a rra c k s: a non-sectarian service is also held every a loving and other cups, and borough seals. T h e m ace,
S u n d a y at the A bbey H all, K in g ’s road.
of silver-gilt, is 4ft. iji n . long and has a plain staff
T rin ity C ongregational chapel, an edifice in the Lancet with rich ly ornamented knops and a large spreading
style, was b u ilt in 1846 by seceders from Broad Street foot knop, w ith an inscription and the date 1770 ;
chapel, which is the oldest in the town, dating from four brackets support the head, which is divided into
1662: the G eneral B ap tist chapel, in K in g ’s road, claim s, four oval com partm ents containing the national em ­
as a m eeting-place for N onconform ists, some a n tiq u ity ; blem s, crowned, and the cyp h er “ G. III. R .” Above
it was first founded in Curzon street in 1640, rem oved is a circlet from which springs an open crown w ith
to H ozier street in 1752 and to its present site in 1834, orb and cross; on the flat top are the Royal arm s in
and was enlarged in 1858 and 1890: the p rincipal W es­ relief ; the chain, of gold, consists of oblong tablets
leyan chapel is in Queen’s road. T h e P rim itive M etho­ united by lin k s; the badge, presented by M ajor Silverd is t chapel, in London street, was b u ilt in 1866, and will thorne in 1870, is a pointed oval bearing a representa­
sea t 950 persons. In M arch, 1906, a W esleyan M ission tion of th e borough sea l; the w ardens’ badges, of silver,
hall was opened in W h itley street at a cost, in cluding are oval in shape and display the borough arm s within
a w reath of laurel ; one is dated 1688 and the other
th e site, of £6,540.
1744; the lovin g cup dates from c. 17 3 1; of the seals
The Y o u n g M en’s Christian A ssociation has prem ises the earliest is of th e 14th century, the others are copies ;
in F ria r s tr e e t ; there were in 1914 about 400 m em bers.
the m ayor and alderm en wear black rc&es trim m ed w ith
sables and the councillors sim ilar robes w ith velvet only.
R eading C em etery, opposite th e junction of the London
Over the new w in g of the P ub lic L ib ra ry and M useum
and W okingham roads, established in 1842, under the
buildings is a sculptured frieze, representing the arts,
provisions of the A c t 5 and 6 V iet. c. 19, occupies 12
m an ufactures and custom s of different periods. The
acres of land, 8 of which are con secrated ; it has two
library consists of a reference library and juvenile
chap els and a residence for the curator.
departm ent, com prising about 37,000 volum es ; it also
The m unicipal b uildin gs, w hich include the Town includes spacious reading and news rooms, a students’
The
H all, Council cham ber, and other m un icipal offices, Free room and a reading room for young people.
L ib ra ry and M useum s and the A rt G allery, are situated M useum , under the w ill of th e late Mr. Horatio Bland,
in F ria r street, B lagrave street and V a lp v street, and has becom e possessed of the whole of his m agnificent
form a pile of black and red brick, w ith a clock tower, natural h istory collection. I t also contains the collection
in the G othic style, the m unicipal b uildin gs proper of Rem an an tiquities recovered durin g recent excava­
h avin g been erected in 1875, from designs by Alfred tions at Silchester, and which are still proceeding under
W aterhouse esq. R.A . and the rem ain in g portion (begun the direction of th e Society of A ntiquaries of London.
in 1879) com pleted and opened M ay 31st, 1882, from the Th e A rt G allery contains a good collection of w ater
designs of Thom as Lainson esq. of B righton. Th e niche colour and oil paintings.
in the gable over the libraryr is filled w ith a m arble
The Shire H all, in the. Forbury, opened in 1911, a t a
statu e1 of H. M. Queen V icto ria, presented by the late cost of £25,000, is a buildin g of red brick w ith B ath
W illiam Isaac Palm er esq. of G razelev C ourt.
The stone facings.
p rincipal entrance in B lagrave street leads to the m ain
The Assize Courts, in th e F orbury, im m ediately
corridor or vestibule, 15ft. wide by 79ft. long, at the
north end of which is a m em orial stone, recording on adjoining the abbey gatew ay, are in the Italian style
and
were b u ilt in 1861 ; th ey occupy the site of a
an attached brass plate th e foundation of the structure
The G reat H all, 60ft. wide. 97ft. lo n g and 50ft. hisrh, hospital for poor pilgrim s, founded in connection w ith
the
abbey,
and form a block of buildings consisting of
is entered on the w est side by five large doorways, and
w ill hold r,5oo p erson s: the orchestra is placed at the a façade w ith a colonnade along its low er stage and
east end of the hall and contains an organ presented by projectin g wings ; th e whole is b u ilt of freestone and is
the R eading Philharm onic S o c ie ty : the hall has balconies rusticated in both stages ; the central portion term in at­
round the north, south and west sides, and its walls are ing above in a stone b alustradin g. The b uilding con­
divided into panels b y fluted pilasters, w ith m oulded tains a lo fty hall conveniently arranged as a w aitin g hall
to the Crown and N isi P riu s courts and G rand Jury
bases and g ilt c a p ita ls ; over th is is an enriched frieze
and above a heavy cornice, from which spring the room, w ith all of which it com m unicates, and also by a
ornam ental ribs of the c e ilin g ; beneath the hall is a passage w ith the cou n ty police station . The assizes and
supper room w ith re tirin g room s. On the rig h t are sessions are both held here ; form erly the sum m er
assizes were held at Abingdon, b ut by an O rder in
th e lib ra ry ; a news and readin g room 25ft. by 30ft. 6in
lending library, 21ft. by 30ft. 6in. and a reference Council, dated S eptem ber 14th, 1868, both are now held