How to find it
On the west elevation of 141 Oxford Road (formerly 1 Hampden Place) at the junction with Russell Street.
This new sign highlights the businesses which have been based in 1-2 Hampden Place (now 139-141 Oxford Road) over many decades and is based on a long lost sign, as shown in 1907 image (Credit Reading Library, Local Illustrations Collection).
Some background
The mural documents the occupants of 139 & 141 Oxford Road (formerly 2 & 1 Hampden Place). The design is based on an early 20th Century Wall Advertisement that once stood in the same place, and lists the names of shops, businesses and professional services who have occupied premises there since 1829.
The mural was funded by Reading’s High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) Project 2020-2024.
The sign was designed and hand-painted by signwriter Tomos Jones from Momo Signs. He spent eight days painting each name by hand using traditional brushes and oil-based paints. Every colour was mixed specially to give the sign an aged, century old look. Work on it was completed 29 July 2024.
Part of a bigger project: Text on the mural states ‘This sign was commissioned by Reading Borough Council as part of Reading’s High Street Heritage Action Zone programme, supported by Historic England and Reading Borough Council’. The sign is part of a four-year programme to improve historic parts of Reading. Reading Borough Council received £800,000 from Historic England and matched it with another £800,000 to fund the High Street Heritage Action Zone. The programme has helped restore buildings, signs, monuments and public realm in three town centre conservation areas.
The shopfronts of 139 and 141 Oxford Road today appear to be the same as those in the 1907 image and ‘Bonny & King’ tiling was revealed in the recessed entrance to No 141 during shop refurbishment works for Chapz Barbers in 2020.
A self-guided walks leaflet covering all the improvement works undertaken as part of the HSHAZ and project has been published by Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee and Reading Civic Society. The walk ends at the mural.
More information
The previous existence of an advertising sign on the wall was discovered during the HSHAZ project. Historic images of the premises were searched for in Reading Libraries’ local illustrations collection during the planning process for works to 139 Oxford Road.
It was then realised that the white painted panel on the side of Chapz Barbers had been used for advertising. This raised the possibility that the sign might still be there underneath more recent layers of paint.
Cliveden Conservation were engaged to investigate if anything of the 1907 sign and earlier or later advertising could be uncovered. This painstaking process involved carefully stripping off layers of paint and investigations behind the cement panel. It was clear that the wall had been used for many adverts over a century or more but no definite trace of the Bonny & King sign could be found. Before the sign could be painted, Cliveden Conservation repaired the wall using old-style building materials like lime mortar and lime render. This helped make a strong base for the new sign
The HSHAZ team then looked at alternative uses for the site for a mural of some kind and it was agreed that documenting historic occupiers in the traditional style of the Bonny & King sign was the perfect solution.
If you look carefully at the image of the site before any work was done you will see the light standard was originally in the middle of the sign. This was moved to the left as part of the project to enable the work to be clearly displayed.
Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee, with assistance from Reading Central Library local studies department and Reading Museum, researched former occupiers. Cliveden Conservation prepared the panel for painting and Momo signs designed the artwork. Momo signs, with a little assistance from Rayment signs, painted the panel at the end of July 2024.
There was always concerns about vandalisation of the sign. Before the Pandemic the blank space was rarely “tagged” however post Pandemic it started to be tagged occasionally. We hope that even the taggers appreciate a good work of art and will leave it alone.
To Access Other Information
- Reading Borough Council media release celebrating the Traditional Sign Writing award won at the annual Sign and Wrap Awards in March 2025
- Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee – A History of Hampden Place, 127-141 Oxford Road, in particular 139-141 Oxford Road (Reading Central Library catalogue reference qR/C/OXF)
- High Street Heritage Action Zone walk leaflet by Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee and Reading Civic Society
