THE ORA
THE FOUNDATION STONE IN THE CLOISTERS
Reading witnessed a great Victorian pageant on 1st July 1870, when Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) arrived in the town to lay the Foundation Stone for Alfred Waterhouse’s magnificent new buildings for Reading School, in Erleigh Road.
were debarred from entry after noon). They entered via Craven Road, with empty carriages returning via Addington Road.
A general holiday was declared, and the town turned out in force; in London Road alone arrangements were made for three thousand school children and their teachers to line the route.
The arrival of the Royal Party at the Station was signalled by hoisting the Royal Standard on the tower of St Lawrence’s Church and firing the gun then situated on Forbury Hill. The guard of honour saluted, the band played the National Anthem and the Mayor presented their Royal Highnesses with an address of welcome and conducted them, preceded by the Mace bearer to the Royal Carriage.
At the Railway Station members of the Royal Berkshire Militia formed a guard of honour whilst the 1st Berkshire After 750 years in the centre of town, the School was to find Volunteers waited to provide the same on the School renewed vigour on the splendid new 10 acre plot that had Terrace. The Berkshire Yeomanry Cavalry were the escort been acquired from the Redlands Estate for the purpose, from the Station to the School, where there was also and the citizens of Reading were proud; not least the waiting a choir made up of members of the Reading Mayor, the six Aldermen, and three Councillors who, Philharmonic Society; and where from 11 o’clock the Band together with the Vicars of the three parishes constituted of the Grenadier Guards performed a selection of music in the Trustees – the School’s Governors of the time. the tent.
At 12.30 the Prince and his Princess, Alexandra of Denmark, were received at Reading Railway Station and they progressed through the town to the School grounds, where seats had been erected around the stone beneath a large tent capable of accommodating two thousand persons, who bought tickets at either 21 shillings or 10/6d, no trivial sums in those days. Ticket holders had been admitted from 11 o’clock (and
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The procession set off through Friar Street, Market Place, High Street, Duke Street, London Street and London Road, headed by a detachment of Yeomanry Cavalry. Then came a band, members of the Philanthropic Society; the Foresters, the Oddfellows and another band. Then came the carriages, all sixteen of them; three containing
Floreat Redingensis
SEPTEMBER 2020
