ONE of Reading’s oldest pubs is calling last orders for the final time later this month.
The Sun Inn will shut following one last shindig on May 14, marking the end of an era for the 320-year-old building.
However, it is not the only town-centre pub to have closed its doors in the past decade or so.
READ MORE: The Sun Inn to shut down after one last party
A number of other favourite boozers have also shut up shop.
Take a trip down memory lane as we look back on our long-lost joints.
The Horn
The Horn, located just yards away from The Sun Inn on the corner of Castle Street and St Mary’s Butts, shut down in June 2021.
The Horn, Castle Street
The pub closed on June 12 after Star decided not to renew their lease with the property’s owner, Broadway Inns.
Speaking to the Chronicle last year, Sandra Bleek, who subleased the pub, said: “It would have been wonderful to be able to stay on, it’s just another town centre pub gone.
READ MORE: The Horn pub left looking sad and empty
“It was a proper pub pub, it was a boozer and there’s not many of those left, otherwise you’re going into bars or clubs.”
Peak inside and the pub has been gutted, with just strays bits of plaster, archaic coronavirus signs and cobwebs to be seen.
The Bugle
The Bugle, Friar Street
The London Irish-endorsed Friar Street pub stood alone among Reading’s many nightclubs but sadly it appears it is no longer.
It is not clear when the Bugle closed its doors for the final time, but upon inspection, the pub’s windows are boarded up and broken and there is no sign of life around the boozer.
A broken window at The Bugle
It is listed as ‘permanently closed’ on Google and whatpub.com.
Boarded-up windows at The Bugle
Brewery Tap
Another Castle Street boozer that has bitten the dust.
According to closedpubs.co.uk, the boozer opened and closed several times in the 2000s.
Brewery Tap on Castle Street
It was located opposite the Sun Inn further up Castle Street and featured a jukebox and pool table.
READ MORE: Concerns raised about 'intrusive' CCTV cameras in pub toilets
In April 2012, Reading Borough Council granted planning permission to convert the pub into seven residential apartments.
Coopers Arms
Coopers Arms
The Coopers Arms was situated at 31 Market Place and closed in 2010, according to closedpubs.co.uk
The now-empty site is part of a large property that is set to be converted into a 182-bed hotel.
The site formerly known as Coopers Arms, Market Place
It was sold with planning permission for this purpose just prior to its scheduled auction in December 2021, according to Acuitus.co.uk.
Rising Sun
The Rising Sun, Forbury Road
A popular pub for commuters, the Rising Sun was located on Forbury Road near Reading Station.
According to closedpubs.co.uk, it closed its doors for the final time around 2014.
Inside The Rising Sun
Local reports from 2017 suggest it was due to be demolished in the summer of that year.
However, it stands empty to this day after Reading Borough Council refused to give permission for the site to be bulldozed.
Inside The Rising Sun
Whatpub.com reports that the site has been sold but it is not clear what its future use will be.
READ MORE: Yates announces Reading pub closure
A look inside reveals bar stools and tables are still present.
The Red Lion
The Red Lion, Southampton Street
Based just outside the town centre at the bottom of Southampton Street, The Red Lion shut up shop in 2015.
READ MORE: Landlords scoop award for pub of the year
Demolition work on the 17th-century site began in September 2021 after planning permission for 11 flats was granted.
The site that formerly hosted The Red Lion
The site was also temporarily inhabited by squatters in 2019, who unofficially renamed the building Kobani House and used it as a hub to show solidarity to the people of Kurdistan.
And still going strong…
Despite the loss of many of our favourite pubs, many still stand strong.
The Alehouse, still going strong today
In addition to the many independent and chain-run bars and pubs in the town centre, there are two traditional boozers still welcoming punters.
The Allied Arms, still going strong today.
A special shout-out to The Alehouse, on Broad Street (reopened recently after a long coronavirus-induced break) and The Allied Arms, on St Mary’s Butts.
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