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Reading Old Cemetery

0 out of 5 stars

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51 mins

1.0 km

By 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.

Reviews

0 out of 5 stars
0 reviews
PE
Peter Emberson
21 Apr 2025
4 out of 5 stars

CB
Carol Boman
11 Jan 2025
5 out of 5 stars

Great. Really enjoyed it.

Z
Zheng

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5 out of 5 stars

MK
Mayank Khatri
23 Oct 2024
5 out of 5 stars

An amazing tour, very good to spend an interesting sunny afternoon exploring the history of Reading's residents back in the day, learning about their life, families, occupations and thoughts.

MB
Molly Brown
09 May 2024
5 out of 5 stars

I
Ian
03 Mar 2024
4 out of 5 stars

TB
Tom Bastin
19 Nov 2023
4 out of 5 stars

C
Charlotte
22 Oct 2023
5 out of 5 stars

One or two of the graves aren't immediately obvious, but otherwise this audio tour is fantastic - I'm an adult without kids and really enjoyed it.

E
Emma
30 Sep 2023
5 out of 5 stars

I loved the care the team has put in presenting the stories! My child loved the tour!

I
Ian
17 Sep 2023
5 out of 5 stars

J
Joanne
05 Jun 2023
5 out of 5 stars

Tom Durrant
18 May 2023
5 out of 5 stars

AG
Aundre Goddard
17 May 2023
5 out of 5 stars

SC
Stephen Copperthwaite
28 Feb 2023
5 out of 5 stars

I love it from across the pond in Canada. Thank you so much as I have ancestors buried here and will be visiting in June. Cheers.

M
Matt
04 Feb 2023
5 out of 5 stars

Copyright Credits

All copyright remains with Reading University.

Reading Old Cemetery

0 out of 5 stars
0