The Art and History of Whiteknights: 10 – A tour around the Whiteknights campus with John Grainger and Ian Burn

Filmed to mark the publication of the book The Art and History of Whiteknights this video, produced by John Grainger and Ian Burn, takes us on a tour of the Whiteknights campus of the University of Reading, and tells the stories behind some of the key historical buildings and sites, many of which provided inspiration for the artworks featured in the book. The video tour points out buildings and places which feature in some of the artworks, including The Ure Museum, The site of the Old Dairy, Foxhill House, Whiteknights Lake, TOB1, The Harris Garden, and The Wilderness.

As John Grainger suggests, why not take a copy of the book in hand and ‘use it as a guide for your next, or maybe your first, ramble through the park or even to prepare you for the next Whiteknights Studio Trail?’ An excellent suggestion! And if you are not able to get to to Whiteknights, the book and the video will bring it to life for you. Buy a copy here.

John Grainger had an academic career at the University of Reading, where he became Head of the Department of Microbiology. He is a Trustee of the Friends of the University and uses his interest in the history of the University for producing material for Friends’ heritage events and other outreach activities.

Ian Burn worked for over 30 years as an administrator in the University Library at Whiteknights. Retirement has allowed him more time to spend pursuing his interest in local history and in particular the history of the University.

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In a normal year, we always look forward to the annual Whiteknights Studio Trail, where our local artists and craftspeople open their houses. This is the trail’s 20th year, and in a joint venture with the Whiteknights Studio Trail, and with support from The Friends of the University of Reading, Two Rivers Press is delighted to publish a beautiful celebratory book, The Art and History of Whiteknights, which features 28 artworks all inspired by the Whiteknights area of Reading. The featured artists have all exhibited on the trail over the years, and in the unfortunate absence of the trail itself in 2020 (it will be back in 2021!) we hope that this book will remind you of the wealth of creative talent in our locality, as well as inspiring you to reflect more deeply on the history and roots of this special part of town.