Reading Abbey

Reading, United Kingdom

No longer standing

Demolished or destroyed.

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Reading Abbey is a large Norman ruin in central Reading, Berkshire, founded by Henry I in 1121 as a royal monastery dedicated to the salvation of his soul and those of his predecessors and family. At its height, it ranked among Europe's largest monastic establishments. Demolished in 1538, the ruins were conserved through the £3 million "Reading Abbey Revealed" project, which reopened them to the public in June 2018 and included new interpretation galleries at Reading Museum. The adjacent St James's Church perpetuates the Abbey's traditions, partly constructed from its stones. The site now houses HM Prison Reading, though the ruins remain a Grade I listed monument to medieval Benedictine grandeur.