We have been working on a new section of our website which details the heritage “blue” plaques around our town. A sub-committee has worked tirelessly to find, check and document the plaques, and information panels, and collate them in to one useful display with an associated map to help members and visitors to Reading to find them in situ. The sub-committee has sought to provide the story behind each plaque, so do please have a look at them. As ever if you have more information we can add. within reason, then let us know.
We have work on a couple of plaques to complete and a list of the less visible ones to be added. However, we are pleased to share with you the work done to date.
The Society has been supported in this development by a £3K grant from Reading’s High Street Heritage Action Zone programme, by Headwall Hosting who designed the website and by Chris Forsey who produced the photography.
The next step is , as part of the Jane Austen 250 celebrations, to work with Reading Museum and Reading Council to raise the £1K balance of a £7.5K project to erect a suitable stone plaque to mark Jane Austen time in Reading attending a school which was attached to the eastern side of the Abbey Gateway.
Then we will move on to a long list of ideas for other new plaques.
Each plaque costs around £700 to commission/ erect. Depending on siting either Listed Building or Advertising Consent is required. Consent of the building owner is also required, this can be difficult on private houses as owners don’t want people turning up outside their house staring up at the plaque.
A panel will be set up to assist to prioritise our initial list and search for ideas for funding. It will also consider/ offer views on Plaque proposals being developed by other groups.
Ideas presented by members of the public will have to come with funding. We will guide them on the necessary consents required and guide them to the Plaque makers we have used so far, based in Liverpool.