Friar Street, Reading

Friar Street

Friar Street looking west in 2007
Former name(s) New Street[1]
Location Reading, Berkshire, UK
Postal code RG1
Coordinates 51°27′23.95″N 0°58′25.03″W / 51.4566528°N 0.9736194°WCoordinates: 51°27′23.95″N 0°58′25.03″W / 51.4566528°N 0.9736194°W

Friar Street is a thoroughfare in the English town of Reading. It runs parallel to Broad Street, connected by Union Street, Queen Victoria Street and Cross Street. At the western end is the Greyfriars Church and at the eastern end are the Town Hall and St Laurence's Church.

History

Friar Street looking west, c. 1875 by Henry Taunt

Excavations carried out on Friar Street in 1997 at the location of a proposed extension Marks and Spencer store by the Oxford Archaeological Unit revealed successive layers of old buildings, some of which date back to the 13th century.[2]

The Frank Matcham-designed Royal County Theatre, built in 1895, was located on the south side of Friar Street. It burned down in 1937.[3]

The opening of a Sainsbury's supermarket in 1963 led to the closure of many smaller shops.[4]

Friars Walk

Friars Walk shopping centre, located at the western end of Friar Street, opened in 1973-4.[5] It is currently derelict and will be demolished if the proposed Station Hill redevelopment project goes ahead. Currently Friars Walk is known as "The Mall" and is used as a venue for airsoft and immersive zombie survival games.[6][7][8]

References

  1. ↑ Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. p. 32. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.
  2. ↑ "Excavations at Friar Street, Reading, Berkshire". Oxford Archaeology: Exploring the Human Journey. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  3. ↑ "Reading Theatre". Reading History Trail. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. p. 32. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.
  5. ↑ Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. p. 167. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.
  6. ↑ "Zed Events "ABOUT US"". Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "First and Only Bring you "THE MALL"". First And Only Airsoft. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  8. ↑ "THE MALL ZOMBIE WARFARE – DEPOSIT". National Airsoft Girls. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
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