How to find it
The Information Board is situated on the east side of Christchurch Green, where 5 roads meet as a star; Redlands Road, Elmhurst Road, Shinfield Road, Northcourt Avenue and Christchurch Road. It is only a few metres away from the entrance to Whiteknights Campus.
The Unveiling
The Heritage Board on Christchurch Green was officially unveiled by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading Robert Van de Noort on 21 February 2024.
A cheery crowd of about 40 formed of local residents, the Friends of Christchurch Green and invited guests, including the Designer James Dibble, Green Party Councillors, Chair of Reading Civic Society and several University people.
Background
The Friends of Christchurch Green was formed to help protect and enhance the special part of Reading where the friends live.
The idea of the board came about in late 2020 during a discussion on Christchurch Green between a former University Community Liaison Officer and the Chair of the Friends about how it would be possible to link the University with the community surrounding it. A Heritage Board in that site seemed to be an excellent way to do this. It would announce Christchurch Green as more than just a bus stop and would welcome both new students and new residents to the area as a community.
The Board welcomes visitors to the Green and gives a brief history of the Whiteknights Estate as well as the area around the community. It features an early 20th century photograph, looking up Shinfield Road and shows a corner of the then new row of shops on Christchurch Road.
It gives a short history of the Christchurch Green area, how it evolved in relation to the town’s four main industries – biscuits, bulbs, beer and bricks, and its connection to the University.
Three individuals (out of possibly hundreds) were selected to represent a range of disciplines and who had connections with the University and the area of community around.
Alfred Waterhouse –architect who lived in Foxhill in Whiteknights and designed so many buildings in the area.
Edith Morley – Professor of English Language and one of the first female professors who lived in Kendrick Road.
Harold Hopkins – the physicist who invented the zoom lens, fibre optics and the rod lens leading to keyhole surgery, who lived in Cintra Avenue.
Also listed are the museums and places of interest within a 5 minute walk of the Board; MERL, Harris Garden, Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology and the Cole Museum of Zoology.
The back of the Board includes a map of the area in 1840 showing the undeveloped area full of agriculture and market gardens before Elmhurst Road or Northcourt Avenue were built.
Other information
It was installed by the Friends of Christchurch Green with assistance from various community partners, including the University of Reading, local charity RGSpaces, Equal Studio Ltd. and Reading Borough.
Issue such as road works, cycle lane installation and numerous hitches along the way had to be addressed. The designer James Dibble assisted with the development of the design and the costing.
RBC has agreed a crab-apple tree, homage to the crab-apple orchard which used to be close by to the Green, being planted behind the board.
More about the Friends of Christchurch Green may be found christchurchgreenfriends.blogspot.com
The University’s article about the unveiling www.reading.ac.uk/news/2024/University-News/Community/Celebrating-heritage-and-history-of-Christchurch-Green
Credit Jenny Halstead