Kellys_1917_0012.jpg

READIN G
A n a n c i e n t and v e ry con sid erable m arket an d assize to w n an d a p a rlia ­
m entary and co u n ty and m unicipal b o ro u g h w ith separate ju risd iction , tne
cou n ty tow n o f B erk sh ire, the head o f a p o o r law u n ion , inland revenue
c o lle ctio n , p e tty sessional d ivision and co u n ty cou rt d istrict, in tne
S outhern d iv is io n o f the c o u n ty , in th e rural deanery o f R ea d in g , arch’d eacon ry o f B e rk s and diocese o f O x fo r d ; it is 8 m iles sou th -w est from
H en ley-on -T h am es, 26 sou th -east from A b in g d o n , 6 8 from B a th , 13
sou th -w est fro m M aidenhead, 17 east fro m N e w b u ry , 26 sou th -east from
W an tag e 16 w est from W in d so r, 16 n orth from B asin g stok e, 45 from
S ou th a m p ton , 15 sou th -east fro m W a llin g fo r d , 28 sou th -east from O xford
an d 36 b y rail o r 39 b y ro a d fro m L o n d o n , and is situated on t w o sm all
jm inences w h ose d ecliv ities fa ll in to a pleasan t vale, th rou g h w h ich flow
,wo bran ch es o f th e K e n n e t, u n itin g w ith the T ham es a t the ex trem ity
if th e t o w n : on th e banks o f th e K e n n e t, w h ich is n avigable t o N ew b u ry
m d P rox field , are som e ex cellen t w h a r v e s : fou r b rid ges cross th is riv e r ,
ii th ere is also an iro n b rid g e o v e r th e T h am es, an d a fo o t b rid g e
C aversham W e ir , con stru cted in 1885. T h e K e n n e t an d A v o n canal
■ens up a com m un ication w ith th e Severn.
, R ead in g is an im p o rta n t station on th e G reat W e ste rn ra ilw a y (som e o f
the trains running from hen ce to P a d d in gton — and v ice versa— w ithout
stopp age), and is th e ju n ctio n o f the B erks and H a n ts branch to
Newbury, H u n g e rfo rd and B a sin g stok e w ith th e m ain lin e. In 1897-1899
he sta tion w as v e ry m uch enlarged a t considerable co st. R ea d in g is
Iso a term inu s o f the S ou th E a ste rn and C hatham (R ead in g , G u ild ford
ind R e ig a te bran ch ) and S outh W e ste rn railw ays, w h ich o c cu p y a jo in t
pta tion im m ed iately sou th o f the G reat W e ste r n station.
T h e to w n is w ell bu ilt and has several g o o d streets, w h ich are w ell
'aved and lig h te d w ith gas fro m w orks the p ro p e r ty o f th e R ead in g
as Co. and also b y electric lig h t, and the in h abitan ts h ave a constant
p p ly o f w a ter fro m the K e n n e t w ork s in th e B ath roa d , b elo n g in g to
e C o r p o r a t io n ; the houses are m ostly b u ilt o f red b rick .
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T ram w ays, th e p ro p e r ty o f th e C orp oration , are laid d ow n throughou t
le to w n , an d have been p ro v id e d w ith electric p o w e r since J u ly 22nd,
903 ; the g en eratin g station is in M ill lane.
T h e b o ro u g h , fo rm e rly d iv id e d in to te n w a rd s, was b y “ T h e R ead in g
E xtension) O rder, 1911,” w h ich cam e in to fo rce on th e 9th N ov em b er,
911, ex ten ded to include the U rb a n D istr ic t o f C aversham and parts
: th e parishes o f T h eale an d T ileh u rst, and n o w con sists o f thirteen
ards, r e sp e ctiv e ly , A b b e y , B a ttle , C astle, C h u rch , E ast, ICatesgrove,
bead.

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