Kellys_1914_0027.jpg

BEADING DIRECTO RY— 1914.

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abbey, and form a b lock o f buildings con sistin g o f a facade w ith a
colonnade along its low er stage and p r ojectin g w ings ; th e w h ole is
bu ilt of freestone and is rusticated in both stages ; the central portion
term inating a b ove in a stone balustrading. T h e buildin g contains a
lo fty hall con venien tly arranged as a w aitin g hall to th e C row n and
N isi P rius courts and Grand J ury room , w ith all of w hich it com ­
m unicates, and also b y a passage w ith the cou n ty p olice station. T h e
assizes and sessions are both held here ; form erly the sum m er assizes
w ere held at A b in gd on , b u t b y an O rder in C ouncil, dated Septem ber
14th, 1868, b o th are n ow held in this tow n. C ourts o f quarter sessions
fo r the cou n ty are held in January, A p ril, June and O ctober.
The
quarter sessions fo r th e borough are held a t the Sessions house, V a lp y
street, in the sam e m onth as th e sessions for th e cou n ty. T h e C ou nty
Council holds all its full m eetings at th e A ssize courts, and the various
com m ittees m eet at th e C ounty offices.
T h e C o m E xch an ge, bu ilt in 1854, is about 100 feet lon g and 50 feet
w ide, and has a glass r o o f ; it is approached b y a n arrow cov ered w ay
from the M arket place, and over the entrance is a small to w e r w ith
c lo c k ; the same covered w ay gives access t o the C overed M a rk et, a
narrow confined structure in Broad street, erected in 1854. Stalls h ave
been erected in the C overed M arket, and in continuation o f th is buildin g
a fine arcade has been built through into F riar street. T h e m arket days
are— Saturday fo r corn and stock cattle and M on d a y fo r fa t cattle. Fairs
are held on F ebru ary 2, M ay 1 for cattle, Ju ly 25 for ca ttle, Sept. 21 for
cheese and cattle.
T h e C attle m arket and abattoirs, the p rop erty o f th e C orp ora tion o f
R ea d in g, are on th e w est side of the Caversham roa d and close t o the
stations o f the G rea t W estern , the South E astern and C hatham and the
South W estern railw ays.
T h ere are nine banks— L loyds B ank L im ited , M arket p l a c e ; su b ­
branch, O xford r o a d ; B arclay and C om pany L im ited , w ith w h ich
is in corp ora ted J. and C. Sim onds and Co. (R ea d in g B a n k ), K in g
street and O xford road ; a branch o f the L on d on C ou n ty and W estm in ster
B ank L im ite d , in M a rk et place ; the Capital and C ou nties B ank L im ited ,
in B roa d street, w ith sub-branch in W ok in gh a m roa d ; th e L on d on and
South W estern B ank L im ited, in K in g s tr e e t; th e M etrop olita n B ank (of
E ngland and W ales) L im ited, F riar street ; a branch o f th e U n ited
Counties B ank L im ited, in Broad s t r e e t ; a branch o f th e N ational P r o ­
vincial B ank o f E ngland L im ited, in Queen V ic to r ia street, and F a rrow ’ s
B ank L im ited , in B road s tr e e t ; there is also a Savings B ank, foun ded
in 1817, in L on don street, w ith branch offices in O xford road and W o k in g ­
ham road.
H is M a je sty s P rison , situated on the cast side o f the a b b ev ruins
in F orbu ry road, includes w ithin its precin cts the fo u n d a tio n s 'o f the
eastern p o rtion o f the ch u rch ; it was e r e c t e '. in 1843, and is a
castellated building o f red brick, w ith w h ite stone dressings, arranged
to h old 224 prisoners ; it was one o f th<- first prisons b u ilt on the
separate system .
T h e B orou gh P o lice Station is at T h e F orb u ry.
The head quarters o f the cou n ty con stabulary are a t R ea d in g , th e
station b e in g in A b b e y street.