Caversham Court is now a small but beautiful public park on the North bank of the Thames but, in times past, it was the gardens and site of the Rectory. The house was originally built for the canon for St Peter’s Church in the 12th century. Over the years, many additions and modifications were made to the house including the gazebo, which overlooks the Thames and was built by 1663. In the 19th century, the Simonds family, Reading’s famous brewing family, lived here and remodelled the house, turning it into a Gothic mansion. After them, up to the early 20th century, a few more noted people resided here. Among the names are Lady Elizabeth Mosley, grandmother of Fascist leader Oswald Mosley, Thaddeus Arathoon, a wealthy Armenian trader and Mary de Pledge, famous for breeding the Caversham strain of Pekingese dogs. The house was falling into bad repair by 1931 when Reading Corporation bought Caversham Court and demolished the house. They opened the gardens as public park in 1934. I rather liked this view of the Thames as it offers a slightly different perspective of the river than my usual shots. ------------------------------------------ Original Photograph: 19 Mar 2012