Reading Greyfriars – from prison to parish church
Built around 1300, Greyfriars Church is one of the oldest buildings in Reading and is the only surviving part of the town’s Franciscan friary. For almost 250 years, from the early 17th century to the mid-19th, it was used as the borough prison, or Bridewell. In 1862, it was sold to a local clergyman who spearheaded the conversion of the building back to ecclesiastical use. The talk will tell the story of when the building was a Bridewell, giving a glimpse inside the walls that only the unfortunate few had at the time. It will explore the reasons behind its conversion back to a church, finishing by considering its early years as a parish church, serving a mostly poor community.
This is the first of two talks in the Old Reading Talks Series. The other talk take place on 11th September. You may book tickets for either talk or for both in the series for a reduced price. Â
After the talk, tea/coffee and cake will be available (included in the price). Pre-booking is preferred, but you can pay on the door, if there are spaces available. Â
Image: Greyfriars Church, Friar Street, Reading, from the south-east, c. 1875.
To book, scroll down.
Date
- Thu 10 Jul 2025
Time
- 14:00 - 15:30
Tickets
- £5.00
Location
- 2nd Floor, Reading Central Library, Abbey Square, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3BQ
Organiser
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The Centre - Berkshire FHS
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Email
booking@berksfhs.org.uk -
Website
https://berksfhs.org/branches/
Speaker
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Malcolm SummersMalcolm Summers is a retired maths teacher and Deputy Head. Originally from Birmingham, he has lived in Reading for forty years, and is married with two grown up children. He wrote “History of Greyfriars Church, Reading” in 2013, and “Reading’s Grey Friars” in 2020. The latter book describes the Franciscan friary from 1233 to 1538, while the former book tells the story of the friary’s sole visible remains. In 2019, Two Rivers Press published his book “Signs of the Times: Reading’s Memorials”. Malcolm has also written two biographies: “Henry George Willink” (after whom the school in Burghfield Common is named) and “Nicolas Appert”, the French inventor of the process of preserving food by canning (and who is also his wife’s great great great great grandfather). He is researching and writing a biography of Thomas Noon Talfourd.
Malcolm has been a member of Greyfriars Church since 1981, and is currently its PCC secretary. He is also the treasurer of the History of Reading Society and of Kisiizi Partners, a UK Charity that supports a Hospital and community in south west Uganda.