| Admin History | The society was founded in 1871 as Reading Architectural Association. It was a body for professional architects and others interested in architecture and 'the various Arts & Sciences connected therewith'. Archaeology and local history soon became the principal interests of members, and in February 1872 the society changed its name to Reading Architectural and Archaeological Society. The society urged Reading's architects to permit their pupils and clerks a half-day holiday each week to enable them to visit buildings of architectural interest. Later in the 19th century, the society claimed descent from the Berkshire Ashmolean Society formed in 1840, but there is no evidence of a direct link. Women were admitted from 1873.
In December 1873 the society's name changed again to Berkshire Archaeological and Architectural Society. By 1884 it was known popularly as Berkshire Archaeological Society, and this name was formally adopted [between 1891 and 1908]. The society remained Reading-based.
The society organised excursions to places of historical, archaeological and architectural interest for its members, starting with a trip to Sonning Church in 1872. Members monitored and made objections to the demolition of interesting and historic buildings from the 1870s onwards. In 1947 they took over the work of the Berkshire Architectural Records Committee.
In 1879 the society began to publish its Transactions, and 1889 saw the first quarterly journal (later the Berkshire Archaeological Journal). |