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12
HEADIN G D 1B EC T0 B Y â 191 7.
a b o v e is a circle t from w h ich sprin gs an op en cro w n w ith o r b and
cross ; on th e .flat to p are th e R o y a l A r m s in r e l i e f ; th e chain o f g old
consists o f ob lo n g ta b le ts u n ited b y l i n k s ; th e b a d g e p resen ted by
M a y o r S ilv erth orn e in 1870, is a p o in te d ov al bea rin g a represen tation
o f th e bo ro u g h seal ; th e w ardenâ s ba dges o f silv er are ov a l in shape
and d isp la y the b o ro u g h arm s w ith in a w reath o f la u r e l; on e is d ated
1688 an d th e o th er 1744 ; th e lo v in g cup dates from c. 1 7 3 1 ; o f the
seals th e earliest is o f th e 14th ce n tu ry , th e oth ers are c op ies. T h e
m a y o r and alderm en w ear b la ck ro b e s trim m ed w ith sables and th e cou n Â
cillo rs sim ilar robes w ith v e lv e t o n ly . O ver th e w in g o f the P u b lic
L ib ra ry and M useum buildin gs is a scu lp tu red frieze represen tin g the
arts, m anufactures and custom s o f d ifferen t p eriod s. T h e L ib r a r y con Â
sists o f le n d in g , reference- and ju v e n ile d ep a rtm en ts, con ta in in g about
50,000 v o lu m e s ; it also includ es sp acious re a d in g a n d n ew s r oom s and
studentsâ room . T h ere are also t w o bran ch libraries, presented b y
M r. C arn eg ie, o n e a t C aversham
and th e o th er a t th e w e s t end
o f the to w n , co n ta in in g ab ou t 11,000 volum es.
F r o m the v estib u le
a sto n e staircase leads to th e M useum and A r t G alleries. T h e M useu m
con ta in s the m agn ificen t S ilch ester co lle ctio n , th e resu lt o f th e ex cav aÂ
tio n s carried o u t at S ilch ester, th e site o f th e R o m a n o -B ritish c ity
o f â C alleva A tr e b a tu m ,â w h ere th e w h ole o f th e c ity o f o v e r 100
acres has been unearthed. T he c o lle ctio n is unique so fa r as B rita in is
con cern ed , and con tain s hu ndreds o f vessels in p o tte r y , iron w o r k in
great variety , arch itectu ral rem ains, variou s h ou seh old utensils, and
personal and o th e r ornam ents in g o ld , silver an d bron ze, illu strative of
the everyd ay life o f th e p e o p le o f â C alleva â in th a t b y g o n e age o f R om an
rule. T h e pred om inan t featu re o f th e G en eral M useu m is loca l archceoiog y . H ere w e see substantial eviden ce th a t R ea d in g and im m ediate
neigh bou rh ood has been th e hom e o f man from v e r y r em ote tim es, each
A g e , fro m the P alaeolithic o r E a rly S ton e A g e d o w n t o th e N orm a n ,
bein g represen ted b y a series o f relics w h ich have b een fou n d in the
locality . T h e N atural H isto ry d ep a rtm en t inoludes colle ctio n s o f B ritish
bird s, m oths and b u tterflies, ch iefly fro m R ea d in g and n eig h b ou rh ood :
and in th e A r t G alleries m ay b e seen exam ples o f th e w prk s o f G ainsÂ
b orou g h , V a n d y ck , L e ly , C uyp, W ils o n , Z u cca relli, W o lv e r m a n , H o ll,
B urgess, and o th er w e ll-k n o w n artists.
T h ere are a lso ex h ib its of
p o tte r y , p orcela in , m etal w o r k &c.
T h e S hire h a ll, in th e F o rb u ry , o p en ed in 1911 at a c o s t o f £ 2 5 ,0 0 0 ,
is a b u ild in g o f red b r ic k w ith B a th ston e dressings.
T he A ssize cou rts, in th e F o rb u ry , im m ed ia tely a d jo in in g th e ab b ey
g a te w a y , are in the Ita lia n style an d w e re b u ilt in 1 8 6 1 ; t h e y o ccu p y
the site o f a h o spital fo r p o o r p ilg rim s, fou n d ed in con n ection w ith the
a b b e y , an d form a b lo c k o f bu ild in gs co n sistin g o f a facade w ith a
colonnade a lo n g its lo w e r stage an d p ro je c tin g w in g s ; th e w h o le is
built_ o f freestone and is ru sticated in b o th s t a g e s ; th e central p ortion
term inating a b o v e in a stone ba ln stra din g. T h e b u ild in g contains a
lo ft y hall co n v e n ie n tly arranged as a w a itin g hall to the C row n and
N isi P riu s cou rts an d G rand J u ry r o o m , w ith all o f w h ich it com Â
m unicates, and also b y a passage w ith th e c ou n ty p o lice station. T h e
assizes an d sessions are b o th held h e r e ; fo r m e rly th e sum m er assizes
w ere h e ld at A b in g d o n , b u t b y an O rder in C oun cil, dated Septem ber
14 th , 1868, b o th are n o w held in this to w n . C ou rts o f qu arter sessions
fo r th e co u n ty are h eld in January, A p r il, Ju ne an d O ctob er.
The
qu arter sessions fo r th e b orou g h are h e ld a t th e Sessions h ou se, V a lp y