Seven Bridges, Reading
Encyclopedia
Seven Bridges was a street (now Bridge Street) named after seven bridges over streams of the River Kennet
in the town of Reading
in the English
county of Berkshire
. It connected St Giles' Street (now Southampton Street) with St Mary's Butts
to the north. It was the earliest crossing place of the River Kennet.
is built or the marshland upstream.
When the importance of the crossing had increased it became known as Seven Bridges due to number of bridges.
In 1790 Simonds' Brewery
moved to a new brewhouse
at Seven Bridges, now part of The Oracle shopping centre.
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
in the town of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. It connected St Giles' Street (now Southampton Street) with St Mary's Butts
St Mary's Butts
St Mary's Butts is a thoroughfare in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. On its west side is the Broad Street Mall. It is connected to the north with Broad Street, the pedestrianised primary high street of Reading...
to the north. It was the earliest crossing place of the River Kennet.
History
It is thought that this location was chosen as a crossing point due to the shallow streams being easier to build upon, rather than the deeper water downstream at the point where High BridgeHigh Bridge, Reading
High Bridge is a bridge across the River Kennet in the town centre of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It is the oldest surviving bridge that crosses the Kennet.- History :...
is built or the marshland upstream.
When the importance of the crossing had increased it became known as Seven Bridges due to number of bridges.
The streams
Ordered from south to north:- St Giles’ Mill Stream, flowed along the line of Mill Lane to St Giles' Mill. It can still be seen at the County LockCounty LockCounty Lock is a lock on the River Kennet in Reading town centre in the English county of Berkshire. It is now administered by British Waterways as part of the Kennet and Avon Canal...
leaving the Kennet underground before rejoining at The OracleThe Oracle, ReadingThe Oracle is a large indoor shopping and leisure mall, located on the banks of the River Kennet on the site of a 17th century workhouse of the same name in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire...
shopping centre.
- Main Stream, contains the County Lock, was not always the main stream. Originally St Giles' Mill Stream carried most of the water.
- Flood Relief Channel, 10m north of main stream.
- Flood Relief Channel, north of 3.
- Grey’s Lock Stream, also known as Simonds Ditch. This was part of a network of small streams which were once navigable by small boats.
- Minster Mill, originally carried water to the Minster Mill, which may have dated from the Saxon period.
- Holy BrookHoly BrookThe Holy Brook is a channel of the River Kennet in the vicinity of the English town of Reading, Berkshire. While of considerable historical significance, the origin and nature of the brook is still unclear...
, built to drive the Abbey MillAbbey Mill, ReadingAbbey Mill, or Abbey Mills, is a ruined former watermill on the Holy Brook, a channel of the River Kennet in the English county of Berkshire....
and to drain the toilets of the AbbeyReading AbbeyReading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors...
.
In 1790 Simonds' Brewery
Simonds' Brewery
H & G Simonds Ltd was a brewery founded in Reading, Berkshire, England in 1785 by William Blackall Simonds. The company amalgamated with Courage & Barclay in 1960, eventually becoming part of Scottish & Newcastle...
moved to a new brewhouse
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
at Seven Bridges, now part of The Oracle shopping centre.