A Victorian parish church in West Reading designed by James Piers St Aubyn, built to serve the expanding Bath Road neighbourhood and enriched with exceptional stained glass and mosaic work.
At a glance
All Saints’ Church stands on tree-lined Downshire Square in West Reading, Berkshire. Constructed between 1865 and 1874, it was raised as a daughter church of the Minster Church of St Mary to accommodate the area’s growing population. The building is Grade II listed.
History
The church was commissioned to serve the Bath Road district as Reading expanded during the Victorian era. Designed by architect James Piers St Aubyn, construction spanned nine years. Foundations for a south tower were laid but never completed into a structure. The interior was progressively enriched: a glass mosaic reredos from Antonio Salviati’s acclaimed London workshop was installed in 1866, depicting the last supper. The original organ, a modest four-stop instrument lent by “Father Willis,” was substantially upgraded between 1874 and 1883 with a triple keyboard and additional pipes, a configuration largely retained today.
What you see
The church employs coursed rubble construction with ashlar dressings and weathered buttresses, topped by a tiled roof. The interior reveals a five-bay aisled nave with short transept, painted arcade, and a richly detailed five-window apse. The crowning artistic achievement is Salviati’s glass mosaic reredos, a luminous work of exceptional craftsmanship. Mural mosaics enliven the walls. The organ, substantially modified in the 1870s–80s, remains a significant liturgical feature.
Cultural significance
All Saints’ represents Victorian ecclesiastical ambition and the era’s confidence in expanding towns. The Salviati reredos exemplifies the late-19th-century revival of mosaic art and the workshop’s international renown. The church documents both architectural and decorative taste of a prosperous period, while its ongoing accessibility project reflects contemporary commitment to inclusive heritage stewardship.
Key facts
- Location: Downshire Square, West Reading, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom
- Coordinates: 51.4514, −0.98828611
- Built: 1865–1874
- Architect: James Piers St Aubyn
- Reredos artist: Antonio Salviati (installed 1866)
- Listed status: Grade II (English Heritage)
Practical information & getting there
All Saints’ Church is situated on Downshire Square in West Reading, close to the Bath Road. The building is undergoing an accessibility upgrade project. For current visiting hours, services, and facilities, contact the church directly or check the parish website. The church is part of the parish of St. Mark and All Saints.
Sources & resources
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