by John W. Hawkes and P.J. Fasham
Published 1997: Report 5
ISBN: 1-874350-09-8
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The growth of Reading in the medieval period was due largely to the influence of the Abbey. The waterfront zone, between the Holy Brook and the Kennet, lay at the heart of the development. A series of excvations and observations during major redevelopment of the town centre produced substantial evidence for the construction, repeated refurbishment and use of waterfront structures spanning the medieval period. A period of near abandonment seems to have followed the Dissolution. The recovery of over 100 timbers has allowed for detailed dendrochronological study and the artefact assemblages chart the varied industrial and commercial functions of the waterfronts.