Middle Ages

Timeline

Introduction

Danish Invasion of 870

Danish Invasion of 1006

St Mary's Butts

Civil War

Civil War defences

Siege of Reading

Battle of Caversham Bridge

After the Siege

Battle of Reading

Napoleon

World War 1

World War 2

St Mary’s Butts

It was decreed by Edward IV that every Englishman should own a bow of his own height and that every town should have a Butts so that target practice could take place once a week. The broad area in front of the church was the area in which the men of Reading practised their archery. Fifty archers from Reading who trained at these Butts were amongst the English bowmen who fought at Agincourt. The town eventually paid a £3 fee so that they could stop the practising of archery in 1631.