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Summary

London Street is located to the south of the town centre and has medieval origins.

Monument Type(s):

• ROAD (Medieval to 21st Century - 1066 AD to 2050 AD)

Description

London Street has medieval origins and archaeological investigations at a number of sites have revealed evidence of medieval features <1>. Parts of older structures can be found including cellars made from limestone 'quarried' from Reading Abbey, possibly in the 16th century <2>.

John Speed's map of Reading of 1611 shows 'London Strete'. A number of remaining 16th/17th century buildings include nos. 49-53 London Street (Grade II listed) which has an 18th century front on an earlier timber-framed building and no. 88 London street which has a jettied first floor to Church Street. No's 49/51 London Street contains 17th century panelling.

London Street has a number of examples of prestigious Georgian town houses. In the late 18th and 19th century London Street was one of the fashionable parts of the town and many of the elegant houses which lined either side of the road still survive, although most are now not in residential use. A large number of the buildings on London Street are listed <4>.

Tomkins map of 1802 shows many of the buildings still standing today <10>.

Until the arrival of the railway, London Street was the main route for coaches from the town centre to London, before they turned into London Road . The Market Place/London Street Conservation area was designated in 1972 and extended in 1982 <2>.

A number of the buildings in London Street have historic associations. In 1822 Joseph and Thomas Huntley began to bake biscuits in London Street, and this venture grew into the major biscuit manufactory of Huntley and Palmers, one of Reading's major employers. At no. 33 London Street, Charles Dickens read 'The Pickwick Papers'. The building was formerly a primitive Methodist Chapel but was built in 1843 as a Literary, Scientific and Mechanics' Institute. No. 73 London street was the home of Dr. Addington, physician to George III and father of Henry Addington who was Prime Minister between 1801-1804 <2>.

Work on the Inner Distribution Road (IDR) began in 1969 and spliced London Street into two parts. Many historic buildings were demolished as a result, such as 17-19 London Street <9>.

<1> Thames Valley Archaeological Services, 2002, 96-102 London Street, Reading - Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SRM14488.

<2> The Conservation Studio, 2007, Market Place/London Street Conservation Area Appraisal (Unpublished document). SRM14469.

<3> Thames Valley Archaeological Services, 2001, 96-102 London Rd, Reading - An Archaeological Desk-based Assessment (Unpublished document). SRD12680.

<4> Historic England, The National Heritage List for England (Index). SRD12029.

<5> John Moore Heritage Services, 2001, An Archaeological Evaluation on Land at 67-73 London St, Reading (Unpublished document). SRD12650.

<6> John Moore, 2001, 67-73 London Street, Reading Archaeological Evaluation Interim Report (Unpublished document). SRD12649.

<7> John Moore Heritage Services, 2002, Land at 67-73 London St, Reading Archaeological Investigations (Unpublished document). SRD12701.

<8> John Moore, 2001, 69 London St, Reading (Unpublished document). SRD12664.

<9> The Ancient Monuments Society, 1982, 17-19 London Street Reading in Transactions of The Ancient Monuments Society (Bibliographic reference). SRD12434.

<10> Tomkins, 1802, Plan of Reading (Map). SRM14489.

Sources

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