Roman Britain will be ‘reimagined’ in Reading thanks to a six-figure investment.
The free entry Reading Museum has a number of treasures from the past, including a replica Bayeux Tapestry and the Silchester Gallery, which contains artefacts from a nearby Roman ruin.
Reading Borough Council successfully bid for a six-figure project to create ‘Discovering Calleva Gallery’ based on the Roman history of the area.
The name relates to Calleva Atrebatum, which was a Roman town located nearby.
Prior to that, it was an Iron Age town populated by the Atrebates tribe, who were of Belgic-Celtic origin and settled in Berkshire, Hampshire and West Sussex.
The area is currently occupied by Silchester, with ruins of a Roman amphitheatre and walls remaining.
Reading Museum has been awarded £714,785 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver the ‘Roman Britain – Reimagined in Reading’ project.
This will be match-funded with £236,808.50 from other sources.
The successful bid was widely welcomed at a meeting of the council’s housing, neighbourhoods and leisure committee.
Adele Barnett-Ward (Labour, Thames), lead councillor for leisure and culture, said: “This is nearly £1 million of investment in culture in Reading, at zero cost to the council and the blood, sweat, and possibly the tears of our fantastic staff.
“The feedback from the lottery fund we had, the quality of our bid put together with Christelle Beaupoux, the culture and heritage projects manager and team was amazing.
“The Museum belongs to everyone in Reading.
“This is just good, good, good, good! I’m so proud of the team and what they’ve achieved here.”
Cllr Karen (Labour, Abbey) said: “It is just really a bragging point, the efforts our officers have gone into, they are a lean, mean team, they do a really good job.”
Cllr David Stevens (Labour, Abbey) added: “I’m really pleased about this. I remember when the current Silchester Gallery was newly installed 30 years ago, so this is being superseded, excellent.
“What this does is celebrate and recognise our links with Roman Silchester, Reading itself isn’t a Roman town, but Silchester was, so it’s super that we have that going.
“Reading really is a city or town of culture and I think we’ve got a strong case to make for ourselves.”
Cllr Sarah Hacker (Independent, Battle), a member of the Berkshire Archaeological Society, said: “What a lovely item for my last council meeting!
“The wonderful thing about free entry museums is it really gives everybody the opportunity to go and see these things and understand the history of the area we live in.
“Anyone can get involved in archaeology and history at any level, however they can.”
Meanwhile, cllr Doug Cresswell (Green, Katesgrove), who is a teacher, said he was looking to taking his students round once the ‘Discovering Calleva Gallery’ is complete.
The committee unanimously agreed to progress with the project at the meeting on March 10.
