Tag Archives: Reading Abbey

Royal Death and Burial: Reading Abbey in Context

by Prof. Lindy Grant It takes a real effort of the imagination to see the past glory of Reading Abbey, founded in 1121 by King Henry I of England as his intended burial house, in the battered remains surviving today. … Continue reading

Posted in Comment, European History, Events, Medieval History, News, Research | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Magic, Medicine, Miracles: How Reading Abbey Helped to Invent Halloween

by Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers On Saturday 27 October, I had the privilege of giving a public lecture for the Friends of Reading Abbey, in the presence of the Mayor of Reading, Councillor Debs Edwards. The event took place in St … Continue reading

Posted in Comment, Medical History, Medieval History, News, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reading Welcomes the Summer (in the manner of c. 1218!)

by Prof Anne Lawrence The manuscript in this image (below), now British Library Ms. Harley 978, was once owned by Reading Abbey, and contains an eclectic mixture of texts, including the poems of a twelfth-century author and performer now known … Continue reading

Posted in British History, Comment, Cultural History, Intellectual History, Medieval History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment