Abbey of Reading
The chapter house, from the site of the monks' dormitory
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 Location within Reading Town Centre
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| Monastery information | |
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| Full name | The Abbey of Reading, dedicated to the Virgin and St John the Evangelist |
| Order | Cluniac |
| Established | 18 June 1121 |
| Disestablished | 1539 |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Henry I of England |
| Important associated figures | Hugh Cook of Faringdon |
| Site | |
| Location | Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Coordinates | 51°27′22.85″N 0°57′54.31″W / 51.4563472°N 0.9650861°WCoordinates: 51°27′22.85″N 0°57′54.31″W / 51.4563472°N 0.9650861°W |
| Visible remains | Inner rubble cores of the walls of the major buildings; gateway and hospitium intact |
| Public access | Closed to public during conservation |
Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors and successors".
Reading Abbey is currently the focus of a major £3 million project called 'Reading Abbey Revealed'. This project is conserving the ruins and Abbey Gateway so that they can be re-opened to the public. Alongside the conservation, new interpretation of the Reading Abbey Quarter will be installed, including a new gallery at Reading Museum, and an extensive activity programme will be organised.
Abbey Ward of Reading Borough Council takes its name from Reading Abbey, which lies within its boundaries.
The abbey was founded by Henry I in 1121. As part of his endowments, he gave the abbey his lands within Reading, along with land at Cholsey and Leominster. He also arranged for further land in Reading, previously given to Battle Abbey by William the Conqueror, to be transferred to Reading Abbey, in return for some of his land at Appledram in Sussex.
Following its royal foundation, the abbey was established by a party of monks from Cluny Abbey in Burgundy, together with monks from the Cluniac priory of St Pancras at Lewes in Sussex. The abbey was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist. The first abbot, in 1123, was Hugh of Amiens who became archbishop of Rouen and was buried in Rouen Cathedral.
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