reading
reading abbey GIRLS' SCHOOL
Photo: Abbey Gateway, Reading, Berkshire.
Cassandra and Jane Austen attended The Reading Ladies' Boarding School (also known as Reading Abbey Girls' School) from July 1785 until December 1786. Their cousin, Jane Cooper, was a pupil there even longer, starting the year before in July 1784, and staying on after the Austen sisters left to complete her education there.
The Inner Gateway, which still stands today, was part of the school and would have housed some of the rooms where classes took place. The headmistress at the time was Mrs Latournelle.
There is a Wikipedia page for Reading Abbey Girls School with more information, which you can access here.
Photo: Information plaque from Reading Borough Council, Abbey Quarter, Reading, Berkshire.
In front of the old gatehouse are Forbury Gardens. At the time of the novel this ground would have been used as fields by a neighbouring boys' school for their games. The Reading Museum gives a brief history of the Forbury Gardens on its website which you can read here.
Photos: Forbury Gardens, Reading, Berkshire.
In December 1785, Edward Austen and Edward Cooper went to visit their sisters at the school and took them out for a meal at an inn. It is not clear from family records which inn it was, but The George Hotel is an old coaching inn that is only a few minutes walk away from the Abbey Gateway and still stands today. Many historic features have been retained.
Here is the map for directions.
reading extract
If you would like to read an extract from The Austens of Steventon, where the events refer to Reading, click here.
REFERENCES
1. Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1784: ‘July 16, Friday’, in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.96
2. Le Faye, D. (2013)‘1785: ‘August Reading’ / '1785-86: ?December', in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.102 & 103.
3. Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1786: ‘mid-December’, in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.107.
4. Worsley L. (2017) Jane Austen at Home. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, pp.64-68.