Forbury Gardens

The heart of Reading, Forbury Gardens is a place for celebration, commemoration and contemplation. Once part of the Abbey precinct, the gardens were also a battleground in the Civil War before the Victorians created the formal gardens that exist today.

At the center is the Maiwand Lion, the emblem of Reading. The sculture remembers those lost in the Battle of Maiwand in Afghanistan. Look out for other commemorative scultures including the World War cenotaph at the gates and the Spanish Civil war memorial. 

The Hill dates from the English Civil war defences and for the top you can see the remains of the Abbey, the burial place of King Henry I, which can be reached from the eastern end of the gardens. 

The bandstand hosts concerts in the summer and there are regular food fares and festivals during the summer months.