Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee

Reading CAAC Heritage Skills Survey We are excited to share our new Survey for all our Berkshire followers that own or are responsible for the maintenance of heritage properties. Please take less than 5 minutes to answer these questi…

We are undertaking a survey of heritage skills shortages in our area. Click on the link for our short questionnaire.
readingcaac.org/2025/11/03/r...

Congratulations if you recognised this as one of the external walls of #Firstsite Gallery.

Designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly, following a worldwide architectural competition, the iconic building opened in 2011.

More:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firstsi...

firstsite.uk

We think this is Firstsite.

1/2
Work continues on the building of a new £6.25m 'Digital Forum' on the site of the former bus garage, once also home to #Colchester's Theatre Royal.

It's good to see the historic, locally listed, 'Minton' ceramic street name tiles have now reappeared.

Two exhibition cases with four information boards on the wall behind them.

'Our River Thames' exhibition is entering its final few weeks. Don't miss out on viewing this free exhibition that visitors have described as being "jolly", "excellent" and "globally important". We hope to see you soon!

Thank you to everyone who responded to our Eldon Square consultation

Comments from the Eldon Square Conservation Area Appraisal informal public consultation and have now been collated and amendments made to the document as appropriate. Thank you to everyone who participated by completing the…

Reading - Local Heritage Hub | Historic England Uncover the local history and heritage that makes your local area so special

Historic England Local Heritage Hub for Reading. Lots of images to look at. @karenrowland.bsky.social @mickyleng.bsky.social @readingmuseum.bsky.social @readingcouncil.bsky.social historicengland.org.uk/local/locati...

Khan urged to help London councils create more allotments More than 30,000 Londoners are on waiting lists for allotments with some waiting as long as 17 years to get one

Khan urged to help London councils create more allotments


More than 30,000 Londoners are on waiting lists for allotments with some waiting as long as 17 years to get one
haringeycommunitypress.co.uk/2025/04/17/k...

Image of Jessica Jones

We’re delighted to welcome Jessica Jones, vice-chair of the RICS Building Conservation Advisory Group, to #IHBCShrewsbury2025!

View the full programme and book your place at: ihbc.org.uk/shrewsbury20...

#Heritage #Placemaking #RICS #IHBC

Calling all researchers!

The 2025 Stephen Croad Prize is now open for entries 🏛️

Deadline: 31 May 2025

New discoveries on UK historic buildings, conservation, and crafts welcome.

Details ➡️ hbap.org.uk/2025-stephen...

#HeritageResearch #HistoricBuildings #Architecture

High Street Heritage Action Zone walk leaflet

Reading CAAC and Reading Civic Society have published a walk leaflet with a route that covers all the building improvements and works to monuments that were undertaken as part of Reading's High Street Heritage Action Zone project. The route starts at…

A great little project to be involved with at the end of the Reading's High Street Heritage Action Zone project won a national traditional signwriting award. media.reading.gov.uk/news/nationa...

Review of the period 2024/25 Christchurch Road in the snow We are pleased to publish the CAAC progress review of the fifteen month period 2024/25. Looking back we have had another very busy and productive year with some key mi…

Our review of the period 2024/25. readingcaac.org/2025/04/22/r...

Watlington House - History - Watlington House 6The rear, western part of the building was built in 1688 for Samuel and Anne Watlington, whilst the eastern part, fronting onto Watlington Street, is said to date from 1763. Samuel Watlington served ...

We are in Sidmouth Street in the Kendrick Conservation Area. The stone in the wall for Kendrick Girls School was moved from Watlington House, in the Eldon Square Conservation Area when the school moved.
www.watlingtonhouse.org.uk/history/

a woman in regency costume inside the Abbey Gateway

Jane Austen display inside the Abbey Gateway

Throughout 2025 we are celebrating Jane Austen's connections with Reading 📖✍️
There's a new pop-up display inside the Abbey Gateway devised by Reading University students.

Book an Abbey Quarter tour to see it and inside Jane's school.
www.readingmuseum.org.uk/jane-austen-250

@themerl.bsky.social

There's still lots and lots of 'detail' in the #Heritage of #Colchester that a lot of folk miss.

That's why we post our regular

#WhereAndWhatIsIt
#ColchesterConundrum

every Tuesday.

Here's this week's offering to test and tease you.

We'll post the answer on Friday afternoon.

Where are we? Which of Reading's conservation areas are we in? We'll post the answer next Thursday.

Have your say! The informal public consultation on the Eldon Square Conservation Area appraisal is now open until 6 May 2025.

📄 Read the draft & share your feedback: readingcaac.org/conservation...

This is your chance to help shape the future of Eldon Square!

#ConservationArea #ReadingUK #rdguk

Spring in Kensington, London by John Alford (b.1929) (Reading Museum)

Today's #OnlineArtExchange is #spring!🏵️

And we're celebrating by sharing an image of urban spring - Spring in Kensington, London by John Alford (b.1929)
from our very own collection 🌳🍃🌷

@artukdotorg.bsky.social © the artist

Draft revised Eldon Square Conservation Area appraisal An informal public consultation on the draft revised Eldon Square Conservation Area (CA) appraisal has now commenced and will run until Tuesday 6 May 2025. It was launched at a community meeting he…

We have published a draft revised appraisal of the Eldon Square Conservation Area. Read more here and participate in our survey. readingcaac.org/2025/03/25/d...

#OnThisDay - 17 March in 1821, the "#ColchesterSphinx" was found in the grounds of #EssexCountyHospital.

Thought to be part of an elaborate #Roman tomb, the sphinx is one of the treasures on display @ColMuseums in #Colchester Castle.

More:

colchesterheritage.co.uk/monument/mcc...

We're so thrilled to have made the shortlist for @rdgwhatson.bsky.social's Cultural Champions!

The Market Tree by Commando Jugendstil was created as a part of our High Street Heritage Action Zone project with @themerl.bsky.social, and we're delighted that it's made an impact. Voting is open now!

This is one of the four winged and helmeted cherubs on the war memorial in Cowdray Crescent. If we were closer we would go and check which one.

If Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and other sleuths and detectives were to follow us they'd be sure to attempt our weekly

#WhereAndWhatIsIt
#ColchesterConundrum

But they don't.

So it's down to you...

Here it is.

We'll post the answer on Friday afternoon...

Great Grimsby Day will be live on BBC Radio Humberside www.nelincs.gov.uk/town-going-l...

How can we manage heritage in a world of constant change?

Join Caitlin DeSilvey & Imogen Wood for an online CPD webinar on Adaptive Release in the Historic Environment.

🔗 Register now: events2600.live-website.com?tribe_events...

#IHBCShrewsbury2025 #Heritage #Conservation #ClimateAdaptation

Women in Roman Britain When we think of Romans, the image that comes to mind is often of a legion of stern-faced soldiers. But the Romans that came to Britain were men and women from across the Roman Empire, from north Afri...

Tomorrow is #internationalwomensday so our Friday Find is a coin of Julia Maesa, an important figure in Roman history who wielded considerable political power and influence behind the scenes.

This coin, a denarius, was made in the reign of Elagabalus and was worth around 10p in today's currency!

Architect draws up plans for museum on site of Roman Circus development The site, which was the venue for chariot races in Roman Colchester, was the only hippodrome built in Britain after it was completed in around 125AD.

PLANS for a museum have been drawn up by an architect as part of a second attempt to revive Colchester’s historic Roman Circus.

More:

www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/2495912...

It's Tuesday which means it's time for our latest #WhereAndWhatIsIt #ColchesterConundrum
There's so, so much heritage and history in our great city.

Sometimes though we miss it as we scurry about.

We'll reveal the answer to this one on Friday afternoon.

View of the Sussex Weald by Christopher Nevinson. Reading Museum collection.

Signs of spring are appearing, first snowdrops and now catkins, so we are sharing this spring inspired artwork from our collection, View of the Sussex Weald by Christopher Nevinson, about 1927.