Kellys_1919_0027.jpg

18

r e a d in g

d ib e c t o r t —

1919.

The Corporation own ten parks or pleasure grounds, comprising over
220 acres, including Palm er P ark , presented b y the late George Palmer
esq. of the firm of Huntley and P a lm e rs ; the park covers an area of
about 50 acres in the eastern part of the borough, and is used as a
M r. Palm er also gave at an earlier date a
arge recreation ground in the K ing’s meadows, which is extensively
used for cricket, football and other out-door games.

iiublic recreation ground.

The
Corporation have also acquired about 16} acres of land
extending for about three-quarters of a mile westward from Caversham
Bridge and abutting upon the river Thames. This land, which has a
uniform depth of 150 feet, has been laid out as a public promenade,
and is a valuable addition to the amenities of the town.
A t B ob ’s Mount, overlooking the .Katesgrove clay pit, a Roman
amphora was found, and on the same spot flint instruments were dis­
interred by the late Lieut.-Col. C. Cooper K in g P .G .S .
During the
construction of the sewage works, bones of an enormous w ild ox standing
16 hands high, other remains of smaller animals, fragments of fossil
oysters and pieces of ancient w are and glass were discovered along
Plum m ery Ditch.
The soil here principally consists of alternate layers of clays and
sands of m any colours, with flint pebbles; the clays are made into tiles
and drain-pipes, and the sands are mixed with the clays in brick-making.
B y the Reading (Extension) Order, 1911, which came into operation
on 9th Novem ber, 1911: (1) Reading County Borough was extended to
include parts of Bradfield Rural District (v iz .: parts of Theale and Tilehurst Civil Parishes) and of Caversham U rb an District and Civil Parish ;
(2) CaveTsham east and Caversham west w ards were constituted out oi
the added parts of Caversham ; (3) Tilehurst w ard was formed out of the
added part o f the Bradfield Rural District and a part of the W e st w ard
of the borough as constituted previous to the extension : (4) Reading
Civil Parish was extended to include the added parts of Theale and
Tilehurst Civil Parishes.
The area and population of the county borough and civil parishes thus
altered were as follow s: —
Ansa.

Reading Civil P arish
Caversham Civil Parish

...
...

Total for the County Borough

Population.

_ . 7,639
.. 1,467

77,908*
9,785

... 9,106

87,693

* Including 572 persons in Resiling Institution, 123 in H is Majesty’s
Prison, 242 in the Royal Berkshire Hospital and 300 in the Barracks.
The population of the Municipal wards in 1911 was, A bbey 3,923,
Battle 10,167, Castle 5,130, Church 7,777, East 11,203, Katesgrove
0.286, Minster 4,369, Redlands 5,793, Victoria 5,992, TilehurBt 7,824,
West 7,444, Caversham East

5,742, Caversham West 4,043.

The population of the ecclesiastical parishes in 1911 w a s :— St. M ary,
15,071; Si. Giles’, with St. Luke, 14,147; St. Laurence, 3,123; Christ
Church. Vt'i.iiley, 8,08?; Grey Friars, 4,572; H o ly Trinity, 8,030; St.
John t i :
ngelist, 5,600; St. George, Tilehurst, 5,344; St. Bartholo­
mew, ]'■:
7 ,'"0 .