Reading Old Cemetery

Explore Reading Old, a fine specimen of a Victorian garden cemetery, and find out about some of its permanent residents. Inspired by Horrible Histories with voice overs from local budding and established performers and community volunteers, the audio guide takes you on a tour around this beautiful, peaceful site. From people in workhouses to mansions and everyone in between, including headteachers, suffragists, sauce makers, football club directors, record-breaking motorcyclists and many more who are dying to tell their stories and share glimpses of Reading's past with you. Victorian attire for explorations is optional!

24 stops

51 mins

1.0 km

Cemetery

Tour

Reading

Berkshire

Junction

Yota Dimitriadi

Reading University

Richard Bentley

Nino Auricchio

Aundre Goddard

Reading Old Cemetery

Victorian

1

The Arch

Welcome to Reading East-enders. Meet your tour guide,Miss Jacobs and chaperone her around the site.
2

Elizabeth Jacobs

21 year old Elizabeth was the first person buried in this prominent spot at the cemetery in 1843!
3

Joseph Eggleton

The caretaker of Harris Arcade recalling his unfortunate fatal road accident.
4

Andrewes Exall

Enjoy the hospitality of Mr Andrewes from Reading Ironworks & meet Miss Reddish, his housekeeper.
5

Mary Gordon Burnett

Find out about disability activist and Charles Dickens niece, Mary Gordon Burnett.
6

Paupers Graves

Who lies underneath the mound?
7

Joseph Salmon

Mr Salmon Jr, a successful tea & coffee merchant & patron for the deaf community in Reading.
8

Albert Grigsby

Be quiet as you walk past the head teacher of Newtown Schools. It is lesson time!
9

Eliza Ratcliffe

Listen to Mrs Ratcliffe passionate advocate for girls’ education & women’s rights.
10

The Venners

Roll up, roll up and meet the Venners, well-known butchers of Reading town!
11

Evan Lloyd Davies

Mr Davies is a teacher from Alfred Sutton Primary & one of 6 Reading teachers to die in WW1.
12

The Wheelers

Mr Wheeler is the name and brickmaking is the trade!
13

William Willemera and Mary Smart

William Wimmera, Aboriginal boy & Mary Smart, first Sierra Leonean in Reading, share their story.
14

Joseph Edward Sydenham

Famous jeweller and first secretary of Reading Football Club.
15

The Suttons

One of the Bs of Reading, the Suttons are renowned suppliers of flower & vegetable seeds.
16

Mary Weinholt

Marvel at one of the TWO Grade2 listed monuments of Reading Old, Mary Weinholt’s marble sarcophagus.
17

The Simonds

The Simonds family, another of the famous Bs of Reading: the beer brewers!
18

Annie Neish

Listen to Annie Neish and her work as a V.A.D. nurse.
19

Bernard Lawrence Hieatt

Meet the 21 year old record-breaking motorcyclist & fearless pilot on his way to a Brooklands race.
20

The War Graves and Cross of Sacrifice

Decision time: Pause the app & visit the War Plot & the Cross of Sacrifice or carry on to the right.
21

Mr Jameson

Mr Jameson was involved in the abolition of slavery in Havana. His grave is not on this tour.
22

Lance Corporal Tutty

Lance Corporal Tutty recalls his tragic end & how his friends commemorated his death.
23

John Cocks

The Cocks’ family are busy preparing their famous spicy sauce.
24

The Chapel

The final tour death-stination: Victorian funerals and reflections on mourning.