Historic houses · South East England
HM Prison Reading
In or near Sonning.
HM Prison Reading — a Grade II*-listed historic house in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
Bill Nicholls — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Reading · 0.6 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit HM Prison Reading, the nearest railway station is Reading, which is 0.6 km away. The postcode is RG1 3FD. Accessibility is limited for wheelchair users.
About
HM Prison Reading is a Grade II*-listed building in england-south-east, United Kingdom. Grade II* status is conferred by Historic England (or Cadw, Historic Environment Scotland or NIEA equivalents) on buildings of exceptional national interest. See the linked Wikipedia article for full historical and architectural details.
Photo gallery
Summary from the official site
HM Prison Reading, famously associated with Oscar Wilde, has been derelict since 2013 and is currently the focus of a campaign to transform it into an arts hub. Recently, street artist Banksy created a mural on the prison wall, drawing attention to its potential future as a cultural center.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
HM Prison Reading, popularly known as Reading Gaol, is a former prison located in Reading, Berkshire, England. The prison was operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service (now His Majesty's Prison Service) until its closure at the start of 2014. It is a Grade II listed building and sits on the site of Reading Abbey.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
HM Prison Reading was built in 1844 as the Berkshire County Gaol in the heart of Reading on the site of the former county prison, alongside the ruins of Reading Abbey and beside the River Kennet. Designed by George Gilbert Scott and William Boynthon Moffatt, it was based on London's New Model Prison at Pentonville with a cruciform shape, and is a good example of early Victorian prison architecture. The Pentonville Prison design of 1842 was based on the design of Eastern State Penitentiary of 1829 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was designed to carry out what was the very latest penal technique of the time, known as the separate system. In 1973 Reading was re-designated as a local prison,…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.4565, -0.9641
- District
- Reading
- Parish
- Reading, unparished area
- Postcode
- RG1 3FD
- Parliamentary constituency
- Reading Central
- Established
- 1844
- Nearest railway station
- Reading — 0.6 km
- Official site
- www.bbc.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q3930959 (CC0)
- wikipedia: HM Prison Reading (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is HM Prison Reading?
- HM Prison Reading is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode RG1 3FD), in the parish of Reading, unparished area.
- What is HM Prison Reading?
- HM Prison Reading — a Grade II*-listed historic house in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to HM Prison Reading?
- The nearest railway station is Reading, about 0.6 km away. Drivers can use postcode RG1 3FD.
- When was HM Prison Reading built?
- Built or established in 1844.
- Is HM Prison Reading a listed building?
- HM Prison Reading is officially recognised as Grade II* listed.
- How do I get to HM Prison Reading?
- The nearest railway station is Reading, about 0.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode RG1 3FD.