The present Reading Prison was built by the Berkshire justices in 1844. It became the new county gaol.

The RBA has inherited a small but fascinating archive from the prison that details its history from Victorian times until its closure in November 2013.

During 2013, we ran a research project into the prison’s role as a place of internment. This project was funded by the AHRC as a partnership with the University of Reading’s English Literature Department. Called Enemies of the State, it investigated the experience of Irish internees after the Easter Rising of 1916.

The RBA has inherited a small but fascinating archive from the prison that details its history from Victorian times until its closure in November 2013. During 2013, we ran a research project into the prison’s role as a place of internment. This project was funded by the AHRC as a partnership with the University of Reading’s English Literature Department. Called Enemies of the State, it investigated the experience of Irish internees after the Easter Rising of 1916.

You can read more about the project via the links below.

In 2014, we ran a similar project that looked at the Victorian prison. This project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and was also a partnership with the University of Reading.

From 22 October 2014 to 6 February 2015 there was a public exhibition at the RBA to mark the closure of Reading Prison.

The exhibition presented archival materials from the prison together with publications relating to Oscar Wilde’s contribution to literary and cultural life.

Also on display were specially commissioned photographs taken of the prison at the moment that it was closed.

The event was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Sonning Flowers, and was created by RBA together with the University of Reading.

Also available below are a series of short stories written by children in Year 8, and inspired by the Victorian gaol.

A short film about the event is available on this page.

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