Broad Street

Reading's main shopping street, Broad Street was laid out shortly after the foundation of Reading Abbey in 1120. It appeared as 'Brode Stret' on John Speed's map of 1611 and hosted the Glorious Revolution's only battle in 1688. Until 1862, its eastern end comprised two narrow, parallel streets - Butcher Row & Fisher Row.

The eastern end of Broad Street was pedestrianised in 1997 and re-paved with red brick in 2001.

Reading

Reading is a town in the English county of Berkshire. It is regarded as the county town although, since the county council was abolished in 1998, that is a distinction of traditional rather than practical significance. It is the UK's largest town, having been denied official city status no less than four times - in 2000, 2002, 2012 and 2022. As such, it remains a borough, and has held that status since at least the time of the Domesday Book in 1068. A royal charter, granting independence from control by Reading Abbey, was issued in 1253. A second charter was issued in 1542, reflecting the abbey's dissolution in 1538. Since 1998, the borough has been a unitary authority.

Go to left end of street
This will take you to the scene containing the leftmost building on the side of the street that you are facing.

Go to middle of street
This will take you to a scene that is approximately halfway along the side of the street that you are facing.

Go to right end of street
This will take you to the scene containing the rightmost building on the side of the street that you are facing.

Open street map
This will take you to a page displaying a clickable street map from which you may navigate to a selection of scenes along this street.

Go to next left
This will shift you leftwards down the street by one scene.

Go forward
This would let you move forward into an adjoining street. However, there is not yet another street available for you to do that.

Face other side of street
This will turn you about 180° so that you are facing a scene on the opposite side of the street.

Go to next right
This will shift you righttwards down the street by one scene.

Open year selector
This will take you to a page displaying all the years that are currently available for the scene that you are looking at, any one of which may be clicked to navigate to that year.

Go to earliest year available
This will take you to the first year available for the scene that you are currently looking at.

Go to previous year
This will take the scene that you are currently looking at back one year in time. (This may or may not look any different depending on whether anything changed between those two years).

Go to next year
This will take the scene that you are currently looking at forward one year in time. (This may or may not look any different depending on whether anything changed between those two years).

Go to latest year available
This will take you to the most recent year available for the scene that you are currently looking at.

Building:
Part of the British Home Stores building

This building was purpose-built for British Home Stores in 1967 on the site of the former Angel Brewery, Angel Tap public house and two shops. In 2016, it was remodelled and refaced for fashion retailer Primark.

 

No. 116
British Home Stores (department store)

British Home Stores was a department store chain founded in London in 1928 by a group of U.S. entrepreneurs hoping to emulate Woolworths. From 1986 onwards it rebranded as the initialism BHS. The chain entered administration in 2016 and ceased business, closing all its remaining stores.

2010 - BHS underwent a brand refesh, adopting a new logo in a simple sans-serif typeface. The Reading department store's frontage was not yet updated in line with it.

Building:
Former Brain building

This building was erected in 1870 for bootmaker John Alfred Brain, who had moved from No. 108. Brain stayed in residence until 1926, after which it remained a shoe shop under various other owners until 2001. Since then, it has been a mobile phone shop.

 

Nos. 114-115
Phones 4u (telecommunications retailer)

Phones 4u was a mobile phone retail chain founded in 1996 by John Caudwell and Brian Morrison and headquartered in Newcastle-under-Lyme. It ceased trading and entered administration in 2014.

2010 - Mobile phone retailer Phones 4u underwent a minor rebrand, revamping the appearance of its stores and slightly altering its logo to position 'phones' at a jaunty angle. The shop at Nos. 114-115 was not yet updated, however.