Reading High Streets Heritage Action Zone

Reading is one of 68 areas of England to receive a share of a £95 million government fund having secured High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) status for three conservation areas in the centre of the town. As a result, Reading will receive up to £806,500 for the implementation of a four-year programme agreed with Historic England. This amount will be match funded by Reading Borough Council.

What is a High Street Heritage Action Zone?

High Street Heritage Action Zones (HSHAZ) are a heritage-led regeneration initiative lead by Historic England, working with local councils and the community to create economic growth and improve the quality of life in our historic high streets.

Map of HSHAZs

The high streets, on which our High Street Heritage Action Zone programme is based, are Oxford Road, Castle Street, Gun Street, the southern end of St Mary’s Butts and Market Place. These streets lie in three different conservation areas with distinct characters but sharing similar challenges and potential to benefit from the investment in time, expertise and finance, which will flow from our programme.

This map shows the High Street Heritage Action Zones in Reading - Downshire Square, Castle Hill/Russell Street/Oxford Road, St Mary's Butts/Castle Street and Market Place/London Street conservation areas. — This map shows the High Street Heritage Action Zones in Reading – Downshire Square, Castle Hill/Russell Street/Oxford Road, St Mary’s Butts/Castle Street and Market Place/London Street conservation areas.

Reading HSHAZ Objectives

To enhance the understanding of Reading’s heritage by revealing it’s hidden histories and to give the community a sense of pride and ownership in developing the town’s future
To improve the physical condition and viability of the high streets within the three conservation areas by identifying those properties most at risk and engaging with property owners to help them to restore the buildings, to show them how to maintain the buildings and to share best practice. We want to see premises viably and fully occupied and footfall and customer satisfaction increasing.
To develop a comprehensive strategy to improve the public realm across the HSHAZ. The outcome will be a better experience and sense of place for those living or working in or visiting the town centre.
To support local businesses, the economy and local community and cultural initiatives by creating a positive sense of place through contributing to the heritage of their high street.

The HSHAZ programme

The programme combines three complementary strands:

Physical interventions: to buildings, including repair, reinstating lost features, supporting the conversion of historic buildings for new uses and improvement of shared spaces, drawing on the lessons learnt in Streets for All

Community engagement: giving local communities a key role in deciding what works they want to see happening on their high street and what sort of place they want it to be

Cultural programme: activities and events celebrating the history of the high street and its importance to local communities over the generations.

*Castle Street and St Mary’s Butts junction*

A short history of Reading’s heritage high streets

The town’s origins appear to be in the Saxon period around St Mary’s Minster Church at the crossing of an east-west route (Castle Street/Gun Street) and the north west-south east route along Bridge Street/St Mary’s Butts.

With the foundation of Reading Abbey by Henry I in 1121 the town flourished as the monastery was a major pilgrimage destination and one of Europe’s largest Royal monasteries. The town’s layout had a new focus with the triangular Market Place outside the Abbey’s main gate into The Forbury and the parallel east–west running Broad Street and Friar Street, and a new north–south route of London Street/Duke Street.

The many channels of the River Kennet are likely to have been important for waterpower for fulling mills as the town developed its cloth industry processing wool and this became the town’s chief industry until it declined in by the mid 17th century. The plan of the town recorded by Speed’s map of 1610 is still largely recognisable.

To learn more about the history of the HSHAZ areas visit Reading Museum’s blogs pages where we will be including new blogs about Reading’s heritage high streets.

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