St Laurence's Church, Reading

St Laurence’s Church stands beside the ruins of Reading Abbey in Berkshire. It once formed part of the Abbey’s Hospitium of St John, and the north aisle still contains the old chapel. The church itself began in Norman times and was rebuilt several times, most recently in 1867. Its flint walls and ashlar quoins show those changes clearly. A three-stage tower added in 1458 frames the view north from Reading’s old Market Place. The church has strong links to notable figures and events. A memorial honours John Blagrave, a 16th-century mathematician who lived nearby. The 1522 font was used to christen Archbishop Laud. In 1619 a loggia called Blagrave’s Piazza ran along the south wall, with a small lockup beneath its furthest arch. Bombing in 1943 left marks that remain visible today. Inside, the nave now holds a modern mezzanine floor added in the 1970s. The church no longer serves a large parish but works as a mission to young people. The old market place beside it still carries the memory of pillory and stocks. Visitors walk past flint walls and ashlar details that tell of centuries of rebuilding.