Reading Abbey Revealed Project

A key part of the Reading Abbey Revealed project was conserving the remains of the Abbey so that they could be re-opened to the public. In February 2017 CRL Restoration were appointed as our principal contractors. They in turn appointed Cliveden Conservation as specialist sub-contractors to work specifically on the Abbey Ruins. By May 2018 they had conserved the south transept including the founder's chapel, the chapter house, the refectory wall and the dormitory. The site reopened to the public on 16 June 2018.

There were three main elements to the conservation of the Abbey Ruins:

1. Re-pointing of existing masonry - Using the ancient, but revived technique of hot-mixed lime mortar, our conservation team re-pointed the existing masonry to secure the flint and to prevent pieces falling out in the future.
2. Restore fallen flint where possible and necessary - Since Reading Abbey closed in 2009 a vast amount of flint had fallen from its walls. Through detailed stone-loss monitoring we kept track of areas that have suffered worst. We were able to restore some of this fallen flint, and in some areas it was a necessary part of maintaining stability.
3. Soft capping the tops of the walls - The deteriorating condition of Reading Abbey has mostly been due to water entering the core of the walls. Today's standing remains are the flint and lime mortar rubble centre of the original walls that were never intended to be exposed to the weather. Trial repairs highlighted that a sedum capping would be most effective. The sedum seeded in turf will absorb the majority of rainwater, preventing it entering the core of the wall.

Within the Abbey Gateway there had also been considerable water damage. A new roof covering has solved this issue. High level stonework has been repaired especially on the turrets and parapets. Asbestos has been removed and the inside of the gate has been updated and reconfigured to allow for a better use of the space by Reading Museum.

The conservation of the Ruins and Gateway was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Reading Council. Historic England funded the conservation of the refectory wall.

Even after the completion of the major conservation work in spring 2018 there will always be a need to regularly monitor and maintain the Abbey Ruins and Gateway. As part of the Reading Abbey Revealed project our architects produced a 20 year management and maintenance plan identifying what surveys and routine maintenance will be required every year. These routine works will then be scheduled to take place annually after the worse of the winter weather and before invasive plants such as buddleia take root in spring.

A key part of the ‘Reading Abbey Revealed’ project was creating new signage and interpretation across the Abbey Quarter including:

• Temporary interpretation during the conservation and building work, including scaffold banners, leaflets, 'Abbey on Wheels' pop-up displays, audio units and an exhibition at Reading Museum.
• A new Story of Reading Gallery at Reading Museum that opened on 12 February 2018, it explores the abbey's history and its impact on the town. It is the best place to start your visit to the Abbey Quarter.
• 27 information panels to explain the history of the Abbey Quarter and interpret the Abbey Ruins, installed in June 2018.
• Directional signage linking the Reading Abbey Quarter from the railway station and The Oracle, and the wider town centre, installed in summer 2018.
• An interactive online map of the Abbey Quarter on this website.

The new Story of Reading Gallery on the ground floor of Reading Museum explores the history of Reading Abbey and its links to the town's development. The new gallery opened on 12 February 2018 and acts as a starting point for visiting the Abbey Quarter. Our blog describes how we went about creating this new exciting gallery. Further displays covering Reading's post-abbey history opened in early 2019.

A key part of this project is putting 27 new interpretation panels across the Abbey Quarter and town centre highlighting the Abbey’s history. A prototype display panel about St. Mary’s Church was displayed in the Reading Abbey Quarter: Then & Now exhibition, in the Sir John Madjeski Gallery at Reading Museum over summer 2017. Museum staff and volunteers asked visitors for their views on the panel’s style, colour and how clearly the historical information was explained.

In September 2017 this panel was redesigned based on our visitor feedback and moved to outside St. Mary’s Church, near the Minster Street entrance of John Lewis, where our volunteers and staff asked passers-by for their views. The results from these surveys have helped us assess the appeal and interest in these boards and then tailor the other panels created for the Abbey Quarter.

We have already shared some of your feedback on the Reading Museum blog.