READING is set to see a celebration of its historic architecture as part of a national event next month.
Heritage Open Days, the largest free heritage festival in the country, will see over 40 events taking place in Reading, with many focussing on the architectural theme for this year’s festival.
The programme will feature walks covering Reading’s famed Georgian architecture, its medieval history and the numerous buildings built locally by its most famous architect, Alfred Waterhouse.
These will include tours of Foxhill House at the University of Reading, Reading School and Caversham Baptist Church.
There will also be milling heritage tours and tours of the new office block opposite the station, One Station Hill.
Residents can also find out what Georgian Reading would have been like for its most famous resident, a young Jane Austen, and find out more about the 100-year-long history of Caversham Bridge,
There are also arts and craft events at Watlington House and Caversham Court Gardens, while Reading’s Ukrainian community will be showcasing their heritage with an open day at the Ukrainian Community Centre in Sidmouth Street.
REDA ‘s Alex Brannen, Reading Co-ordinator for Heritage Open Days, said: “This year’s theme of architecture suits Reading very well.
“We have an impressive range of buildings spanning almost one thousand years of history, so Heritage Open Days is a great way to find out more about Reading’s history – and it is all free.”
Full details are available via: heritageopendays.org
Tickets and booking are available via: whatsonreading.com/heritage-open-days
