Reading Abbey was founded by Henry I in 1121, and within a century had become one of the wealthiest and most powerful monasteries in England. It was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539 — its last abbot, Hugh Faringdon, was executed on trumped-up charges of treason rather than simply surrendering the keys — and the stone was systematically plundered for building material across the following centuries. What remains is a substantial but fragmentary ruin: the gatehouse wall, parts of the nave, the inner gateway arch, and sections of the chapter house and cloister walks, set in a public garden near the Kennet.
Access was restricted for decades on safety grounds but the ruins have been partially reopened after restoration work. The site is well signposted from the Oracle and the town centre, and the adjacent public space makes it a pleasant place to stop. For those interested in medieval England, the connection to Henry I and the abbey's extraordinary history make it the most historically resonant site in Reading.