New owner invites us into Reading prison
Amazing pictures as prison is shown off for the first time in 8 years
Last updated 28th Oct 2024
A remarkable look inside Reading Prison has been provided by its owner as exclusive access to the site was given to the media.
The Prison was purchased by the Ziran Education Foundation in January.
Chinese businessman Channing Bi, who founded the organisation, has begun discussions with stakeholders about the future of the site.
A brief talk with him nonetheless revealed some key details about the acquisition and the next steps.
Mr Bi said the site was purchased for £7 million, however, he clarified that the figure does not include any building works.
He told Greatest Hits Radio:
"So I love Reading and I love the Reading prison history I want to make it an international landmark which supports art and support human values"."
He says he wants to turn the prison into a hotel and art gallery with the possibility of a restaurant but has ruled out apartments.
The visit was notable as it was the first time the prison has been open in years. The last inmates were moved more than a decade ago in November 2013, with the site closing the following year.
The Prison was briefly opened for the Art Angel exhibition in 2016, but since then it has been closed.
There are signs eight years on that the prison has started to fall into decay.
The media visit was facilitated alongside Matt Rodda the Labour MP for Reading Central, and Tony Page, the former mayor with decades of service on Reading Borough Council.
The visit involved going into the cell that held Oscar Wilde, the poet who was jailed for gross homosexual indecency from 1895-1897.
Mr Rodda said: “I find this an incredibly powerful place to come in the Gaol site, as anybody can imagine, what happened to him was absolutely appalling, and the effect of being imprisoned on him were so enormous.
“So coming here is quite powerful really, and it makes you think quite deeply about his life and what happened to him.
“He was treated very unfairly at the time, in a way that is completely incomprehensible today.
“And still there are forms of prejudice around in the world against gay people that is completely wrong, it does make you feel deeply about that."
Asked what he will do to push for the site to one day open for the benefit of the people of Reading, Mr Rodda said:
“The council needs to have a much more detailed discussion with the new owner to try and establish what his plans are, to look at all the details, and to see how proposals can be taken forward that do benefit everybody locally.”
Mr Bi and Ziran Education Foundation representatives are in regular discussions with Mr Page, the former mayor and veteran councillor who retired after 51 years of service this year.
He told us the planning process could take up to 18 months:
"Any future developments need to respect both the archaeology and the history of the listed building so that's a process that will need to be taken through with Historic England and the borough council as well so there's a lot of specialist expertise that needs to be brought in."
Next month interested community groups will be invited for a special presentation where they'll be invited to offer up their own ideas of what they'd like to see happen in the iconic building.