Simeon Monument

The Simeon Monument stands in Reading’s Market Place, a triangular open space that once hosted the town’s market. Built of Portland stone, the unusual triangular obelisk rises seven and a half metres and carries four wrought-iron lamps. It was commissioned by Edward Simeon, a wealthy London merchant born in Reading, to light the unlit square and calm the traffic of wagons. Local architect John Soane designed the structure, drawing on ideas from a Roman visit and the shape of the Market Place itself. The monument was finished in September 1804 without ceremony and immediately drew criticism for its supposed uselessness. Simeon donated an annuity to keep the lamps burning, but by 1911 they had been replaced by flower baskets. A cabmen’s shelter and underground toilets were added early in the 20th century, yet by the 1950s the monument was crumbling. It survived demolition partly because it is the last Soane-designed work in Reading. In 2005 the council cleared later additions and restored the obelisk to Soane’s original form. Visitors find a clean triangular base topped by a fluted column and capped with a stone cylinder. The three bronze lamps are no longer lit, but the restored stonework shows Soane’s blend of styles. Market Place is now a paved square without stalls, framed by shops that once traded in grain, fruit and imported goods. The monument’s sharp angles and Portland stone stand out against the surrounding buildings, marking the spot where Reading’s market once thronged with two hundred wagons on busy days.