| Victorian
Development
The network of smaller Victorian Terraces in New Town and to the south
of the Wokingham Road were built to serve Huntley and Palmers in the
1880’s. South of London Road and east of Redlands Road was developed
between 1860 and 1880, where many of the houses were more spaced out.
West of Redlands Road was land which was part of the Kendrick bequest
which was reclaimed in 1849. The new road running up this hill was changed
to Kendrick Road. William Isaac Palmer lived in a house on Allcroft
Road, off Kendrick Hill, called Hillside.
South of Redlands Road was Whiteknights Road and Alfred Waterhouse built
a house here called Foxhill. Waterhouse designed various important buildings
of Readings, including the Town Hall and Reading School.
To the west of the town, Great Knollys Street was built in 1850 followed
by other development along the Oxford Road. The Western Elms Estate
opposite Battle Hospital was named after the Dukes of Edinburgh, Albany
and Connaught and the Prince of Wales, the sons of Queen Victoria.
Forbury Gardens was properly laid out in 1861-2. Before this, it had
been a dump for rubbish from the town. The mound, Forbury Hill, which
overlooked the Thames, had been improved in 1831 by Joshua Vines. As
well as laying out the gardens, the council tidied up the remains of
the abbey and tried to ensure that they did not fall down completely.
The Abbey Gateway was also restored by Sir Gilbert Scott, a famous architect.
In the town centre, more developments took place. In 1862 Broad Street
east was widened by the demolition of the row of houses in the middle
of the street called Middle Row was demolished and the two streets on
either side became one. In 1868 Blagrave’s Piazza along the south
side of St Laurence’s Church in Market Place was demolished. More
improvements around the churches were made in 1887 when the old houses
in St Mary’s Butts were taken down so that St Mary’s Church
churchyard opened directly onto the street.
The final improvement, started in Victorian times but not completed
until 1903 was Queen Victoria Street. Before this Queen Victoria Street
was built there was no direct way from the station to Broad Street.
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