St James's Church, Reading, Catholic church in central Reading, England
St James's Church is a Catholic church located in central Reading, positioned between Forbury Gardens and the former Reading Gaol. The building features a flint stone structure with ashlar dressings, a Roman tile roof, and displays characteristic 19th-century religious architecture.
Construction began in 1837 following designs by architect Augustus Pugin, with the building incorporating stone materials from the adjacent Reading Abbey ruins. This integration connected the site's medieval past with the religious vision of the Victorian era.
The church congregation represents multiple nationalities who gather for Sunday masses, creating a diverse religious community in central Reading.
The church is situated near recognizable landmarks like Forbury Gardens, making it straightforward to locate on foot in central Reading. Visitors planning to attend services should check ahead since regular schedule patterns apply to this active parish.
The building unusually combines Victorian architecture with materials sourced from a medieval abbey, creating a physical link between two distinct religious eras. This reuse of stones from the Abbey demonstrates how 19th-century construction sometimes drew directly from older structures standing nearby.
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