Memories of Christchurch Green & its Shops: New Exhibition Celebrates 120 Years of Local History - 13th & 14th June 2026

As part of the Whiteknights Studio Trail, a community exhibition celebrating the people, places and businesses that have shaped Christchurch Green over the past 120 years will take place during the Whiteknights Studio Trail weekend on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2026.

"Memories of Christchurch Green & its Shops: 1906–2026" is a free pop-up exhibition of photographs, newspaper cuttings and personal memories charting the history of Christchurch Green and its shops over the last century. The exhibition will be displayed in the Christchurch Road shop windows, with the main exhibition area at 85 Christchurch Road, Reading RG2 7BD and will be open from 11am to 6pm on both days.

Created by Friends of Christchurch Green in partnership with the University of Reading, the exhibition forms part of the University's Centenary celebrations and the 21st anniversary Whiteknights Studio Trail.

Drawing on photographs, newspaper cuttings, written recollections and local research, the exhibition explores the changing face of Christchurch Green, capturing everyday life in the neighbourhood from 1906 to the present day.

Visitors will discover stories of independent businesses, familiar local characters, changing streetscapes and the strong sense of community that continues to define the area today.

Many of the images and memories have been contributed by residents and families, creating a unique community archive that reflects both personal experiences and wider social change.

As part of the weekend's events, local poet and author John Froy will give two readings celebrating Christchurch Green and the surrounding area. Drawing on his years working as a house painter in the neighbourhood, John will read poems from his acclaimed book Eggshell: A Decorator's Notes.

The readings will take place at:

• Saturday 13 June, 3.00pm – Two Rivers Press
  (Whiteknights Studio Trail Venue 17)
  
  
• Sunday 14 June, 3.00pm – 85 Christchurch Road
  (Whiteknights Studio Trail Venue 16)

Visitors who have memories, photographs or stories of Christchurch Green are encouraged to get in touch, as Friends of Christchurch Green hopes to continue building and sharing the area's community history through future projects.

The exhibition is free to attend and no booking is required.

Event Details

Memories of Christchurch Green & its Shops: 1906–2026

Dates:  Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2026

Time:  11.00am – 6.00pm

Venue:  85 Christchurch Road, Reading RG2 7BD

Admission: Free

Part of the Whiteknights Studio Trail:   www.studiotrail.co.uk

Welcome to Friends of Christchurch Green

Who are we?

Friends of Christchurch Green (FoCG) is a group of neighbours who live in and around the Christchurch Green area of Reading. Many local residents have called this area home for years – often decades. With the town centre and the Royal Berkshire Hospital close by, Christchurch Green is a much-loved and well-used part of the community.

Friends of Christchurch Green was formed in early 2020, when seven very local residents came together following another Reading Borough Council planning application meeting affecting the area. The aim was simple: to give local people a collective voice and to work positively to protect, enhance and improve Christchurch Green and its surroundings.

Our aims and objectives

Our work is guided by the following aims:

• To encourage collaboration with interested parties and stakeholders

• To preserve and enhance Christchurch Green and its surrounding area

• To strengthen the sense of community and belonging

• To help make Christchurch Green an area that the community can be proud of

• To seek suitable funding opportunities that enable improvements for the benefit of the area

The group has continued to evolve and meet on a bi-monthly basis, alongside local Councillors and representatives from the University of Reading.  We discuss and progress identified issues and improvements for the area. There have been positive changes to the area, and the group continually strives to keep the area somewhere that residents and visitors can enjoy and feel safe in.

You are warmly invited to join our future dialogue and development.

What we’ve been working on

To date, our work and ideas include:

• Website (this Blog) – fairly basic (yes!), but tells people what we are about and how to contact us.

• Heating shop: Christchurch Road (and adjacent area of land) - discouraging unsightly rubbish tipping. 
• University and Councillors engagement: Regular communication with the University Community Engagement Manager regarding improvements to the Green. Whilst local councillors and the local MP have given their support to our aims and objectives and some of the activities we have undertaken to date, the Friends take no part in Party Politics. 
• Heritage Board: The funding, design and erection of a Heritage Board on Christchurch Green, linking the University with the Community. History of Whiteknights campus and the local area, bringing a sense of belonging to the area for new residents and new students. 
• Conservation:  Receiving regular feedback from the Conservation Committee (CAAC) on areas of special interest. 
• Social activities:  Arranging social gatherings – the chance to meet neighbours and make new friends. 
• Litter bins: Planning for more litter bins, perhaps sponsored by the University (consolidating the University and the community) along the kerbside to prevent cars mounting the pavement.
• Information sharing:  Through regular meetings, sharing information that is relevant and applicable with a mailing list.A website – simple but informative, explaining who we are and how to get in touch.
• Setting up a bank account:  There isn’t a cost to joining the group, but there are incidental costs to what we do, such as printing this letter.  A voluntary contribution of £5.00 to the account will ensure that no individual is out of pocket as a result of our activities.  Our bank details are as follows:

Account Name: Friends of Christchurch Green 

Account Number: 51195089

Sort Code: 60-01-13

To make a donation, please use your surname as a reference so that we can accurately monitor payments and maintain a (confidential) record of all payments made.

 The group has also investigated and instigated: 

• Regular litter-picks in the vicinity. We continue to monitor and report on the littering. 
• Deliveries and parking bay (Christchurch Road shops) 
• Keeping Cintra Park a place that the whole community can enjoy and use
• The condition of Back Lane behind Christchurch Road shops 
• Monitoring of and suggested changes to cycle lanes, traffic calming measures
• Monitoring and responding to planning applications in the vicinity, both new and those in progress 

WE INVITE YOU TO BE A PART OF THIS - COME JOIN US! 

Many residents around the Green have lived in their homes for years - often over decades.  Newcomers to the area are impressed by the friendly community that welcomes them.  Although much has been done, there is still much to do. You may also have ideas and views that haven’t been covered in the above. 

If you are interested in joining the Friends of Christchurch Group, we would like to hear from you. We have a mailing list to keep you up-dated about the work we are doing and the issues that affect this area - your neighbourhood! 

If you would like to know more, receive updates about what we are doing, or be involved in the work of the group, please complete the contact form, and someone will be in touch.

Christchurch Green at risk of becoming 'devastated' by planning decisions

Christchurch Parade, January 2020

Northcourt Avenue Residents’ Association (NARA) chair Simone Illger told Reading Borough Council (RBC) that the Christchurch Green in Reading was being “devastated” by unsympathetic development, at the planning applications committee on 15 January. RBC nonetheless approved the change of use of the ground floor 60 Christchurch Road from a dry cleaners into a restaurant, saying that their own local plan didn’t allow them to choose otherwise.

The Christchurch shopping parade already includes Gregg’s bakers, the Kung Fu Kitchen, Domino’s Pizza and the Sizzling Spice restaurant. RBC gave permission for the conversion of the former bank at 76 Christchurch Road into a takeaway cafe and HMO in December; this means that, after the latest approval, six of the 13 shops in the parade will be selling food.

RBC had refused an application to change the use of 60 Christchurch Road to a food outlet in February 2019 because the local plan in effect at the time didn’t allow for it. The local plan adopted by the council in November 2019 now allows for such a change of use.

Christchurch Green.   Photo (c) Adam Harrington

Residents’ objections

“This local plan of November 2019 offers no protection to the continued destruction of Christchurch shopping parade and the surrounding neighbourhood,” Simone Illger told the council’s planning committee. “When this scheme was refused in February 2019, planning officers said it would not maintain the vitality and viability of this local centre and the loss of a shop unit would have a detrimental effect on the diversity of the area.”

“Changes made… to the local plan at the end of last year mean the scheme is now recommended without change for approval… Local residents are already suffering from noise and disturbance from oversized delivery HGVs as well as vehicles and customers visiting fast food restaurants at often antisocial hours.”

“There is no… legal delivery bay for vehicles to make drop-offs to shops and restaurants without bringing Christchurch Road to a standstill,” said Simone Illger. “This once lovely area is being devastated. The local character of Christchurch Green is fast changing, driven by the growing transient student population, former family homes being converted into HMOs, and landlords who have little or no interest in their detrimental effect on long-term residents.”

“Christchurch Green is looking increasingly neglected, especially in comparison to neighbouring conservation areas at the Mount and Redlands. This needs to be urgently addressed before things get to the point of becoming irreversible.”

Responses from councillors

Councillor Tony Page said that the council’s new local plan implemented national government policy on permitted development, and the consequences were not limited to Reading. He added that the council recognised changing retail practices in local centres, and that the Christchurch parade had always been “lively” with a long-standing student population and consequent complaints, especially about parking.

Councillor Josh Williams said that the national change that mandated alterations to the local plan which allowed this new development to happen didn’t “let the local plan off the hook.”

“If there was a test for the local plan that it should be clear, concise and easily understood by residents, then it probably fails in this area,” he said. “When we are next able to refresh our local plan, we could do more to make [it] deliver what residents want, and in an understandable way.”

“If I thought this could be refused, and that refusal would stand up on appeal, then I would recommend a refusal, but the officers have laid out the details of the planning law, and I can’t see a way through that.”

Councillor Karen Rowland agreed that they couldn’t refuse the application, adding that the change to the local plan was intended to revitalise local centres.

Councillors unanimously approved the decision to change the use of 60 Christchurch Road to a café or restaurant (A3 use), subject to discharging conditions on kitchen odours and the noise of development detailed in the planning officer’s report.