Forbury Gardens
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The Forbury Gardens were originally the outer court of Reading Abbey in front of the Abbey Church. Fairs were held here three times a year until the early 1800s. Today it is a very attractive public park owned by Reading Borough Council.
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[edit] History
In bygone days, monasteries in English towns had a forbury, which was simply a 'borough in front', or a large area of open land either just inside or just outside the abbey walls. The monks and the townspeople could mix freely together there. The Forbury in Reading was part of the outer court of the Abbey, and provided a market place as well as a meeting place.
In 1150, Forbury Hill was constructed to help fortify the Abbey during the war between King Henry I's daughter, Matilda, and his nephew, Stephen.
In 1539, after Hugh Cook of Farringdon, the last abbot, was hung drawn and quartered, the Abbey had ceased to be a religious centre and was confiscated by the Crown to became a royal palace. This was part of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s.
In the English Civil War (which started in 1642), Forbury Hill was used as a gun emplacement during the siege of Reading. The abbey sustained further damage during the war.
Forbury Hill and the eastern section of the present gardens were sold to Reading Corporation in 1854. In those days, the site was on the edge of town, and had been used as a rubbish tip. A pleasure garden 'with a botanical character' including a fountain and summer house were planned, and work began in 1855. The Pleasure Gardens opened on Easter Sunday 1856. The western part of the gardens were bought a year later. Until 1873 it was separated from the Pleasure Gardens by a wall. A tunnel was built on the eastern side in 1859 to link the gardens and the Abbey ruins.
The Maiwand Lion statue was erected in 1886 to commemorate the officers and men of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, who had fought in the Battle of Maiwand at Girishk Maiwand and Kandahar in Afghanistan in 1880. A cross memorializing Henry I was put up at about the same time on the north west corner of the footings of the Abbey Church.
The Victoria Gates on the southern side of the gardens commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The shields on the gates are those of the Borough and the Abbey.
[edit] Today
A grand re-opening event took place on May 14, 2005, to mark the completion of a one year restoration project. The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded Reading Borough Council £2.13 million to restore the historic features of the Forbury Gardens and improve safety and access for visitors. The scheme was developed in consultation with residents and interested local groups.
Work in the gardens themselves has included the restoration of the Forbury Lion, the bandstand, water feature and the garden's walls, fencing and gateways.
The new Keeper's Lodge also includes a refreshment kiosk, public toilets and a resident gardener.
After the restoration, closed circuit cameras monitor the whole Gardens area, in a bid to deter the drug users and other miscreants that used to make ordinary people fearful of using the public gardens.
[edit] Maiwand Lion
The inscription on the statue reads as follow;
This monument commemorates the names and records the valour and devotion of XI (11) officers and CCCXVIII (318) non-commissioned officers and men of the LXVI (66th) Berkshire Regiment who gave their lives for their country at Girishk Maiwand and Kandahar during the Afghan Campaign MDCCCLXXIX (1878) - MDCCCLXXX (1880) History does not afford any grander or finer instance of gallentry and devotion to Queen and country than that displayed by the LXVI Regiment at the Battle of Maiwand on the XXVII (27th) July MDCCCLXX (1880) Despatch of General Primrose
Only 11 men of the regiment survived the fighting that day, having faced an Afghan army ten times the size of the British contingent.
The sculptor was George Blackall-Simmonds, a member of a Reading brewing family. At 9½ metres tall (31'), and having taken two years to design and complete, the lion is one of the world's largest cast iron statues. Rumours persisted that Simmonds committed suicide on learning that the lion's gait was wrong although, in fact, he lived for another 43 years, enjoying continuing success as a sculptor.
The Maiwand Lion even features in the masthead of the local daily newspaper, the Reading Evening Post.
[edit] Bandstand
The bandstand was renovated recently as part of a heritage restoration project. Reading Borough Council organises summer concerts there on Sunday afternoons during July and August.
[edit] Forbury Hill
The Hill is now accessible by two winding footpaths (wheelchair-accessible) that lead to an area that is elevated about 20 metres above the surrounding gardens. A single tree stands in the middle, and around the outer edge of the top of the hill are wooden seats.
