Forbury Gardens Reading
This picture encapsulates 3 well known local structures in Reading covering almost 900 years and was taken on the day of the 2014 Waterfest celebrations. The building in the background is the contoversial Blade office block completed in 2009 which can be seen from virtually every part of the town centre. The statue is the Maiwand lion erected in 1886 to commemorate the deaths of 329 men of the 66th Berkshire Regiment of Foot killed during the Afghanistan campaign of 1878 and 1880. Their names are shown on the black plaques attached to the plinth. The Maiwand Lion appears on the logo of Reading Football Club and the masthead of the local paper, the Reading Post. To the left of the lions rear leg is the Abbey Gateway - one of only two remaining parts of Reading Abbey that is intact although the arch is in a poor state of repair. The Abbey was founded in 1121 by Henry 1 who is reputed to be buried somewhere within the grounds. The Abbey was destroyed in 1538 on the orders of Henry VIII. The ruins are now closed to public for safety reasons.
Forbury Gardens Reading
This picture encapsulates 3 well known local structures in Reading covering almost 900 years and was taken on the day of the 2014 Waterfest celebrations. The building in the background is the contoversial Blade office block completed in 2009 which can be seen from virtually every part of the town centre. The statue is the Maiwand lion erected in 1886 to commemorate the deaths of 329 men of the 66th Berkshire Regiment of Foot killed during the Afghanistan campaign of 1878 and 1880. Their names are shown on the black plaques attached to the plinth. The Maiwand Lion appears on the logo of Reading Football Club and the masthead of the local paper, the Reading Post. To the left of the lions rear leg is the Abbey Gateway - one of only two remaining parts of Reading Abbey that is intact although the arch is in a poor state of repair. The Abbey was founded in 1121 by Henry 1 who is reputed to be buried somewhere within the grounds. The Abbey was destroyed in 1538 on the orders of Henry VIII. The ruins are now closed to public for safety reasons.