Chestnut Walk, Reading
postcard - about 1950
Chestnut Walk, Reading (wrongly described as 'Abbott's Walk')
This postcard looks east along Chestnut Walk, the tree-line pathway on the north bank of the River Kennet between the Abbey Ruins and Blake's Bridge. The Walk opened in 1860 after the area had been levelled and terraced. The Chestnut trees were supplied by Sutton's Seeds. On the postcard the scene is wrongly called Abbot's Walk which is beside the Forbury Gardens to the north.
The process of protecting the Abbey Ruins began in 1833 with the purchase of the South Transept and Chapter House. The area between the Chapter House and the River Kennet, including the ruins of the Dormitory and Reredorter (latrine block), was bought by the town in 1859.
Reading Prison was rebuilt in 1844 by George Gilbert Scott (later Sir Gilbert) but the castellated towers, including the South West tower shown here, and gatehouse were demolished in 1971.
This view also shows the 'foot or so' of wall, possibly a buttress, at the far south eastern corner of the reredorter block that was removed by Reading Corporation in 1965.
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