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Henry I founded Reading Abbey in 1121 and it became one of the most important religious houses in the country.In the cloister highly decorated capitals on round columns alternated with plainer capitals on octagonal columns. Many of these were made of Caen stone, which was valuable building material from Normandy in France.

After Reading Abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII much of this stonework was sold for re-use elsewhere. There is documentary evidence for the dismantling the Abbey Church from 1549.

Cloister capitals and decorated stonework have been retrieved from many sites in Reading, from Sonning, from Shiplake House and from Avebury Manor.

Henry I founded Reading Abbey in 1121 and it became one of the most important religious houses in the country.