St Mary's Butts facts for kids
View south from junction with Broad Street and Oxford Road
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| Location | Reading, Berkshire, UK |
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| Postal code | RG1 |
| Coordinates | 51°27′16.38″N 0°58′28.42″W / 51.4545500°N 0.9745611°W |
St Mary's Butts is an important street in the town of Reading, England. It's a busy area right in the heart of the town. On its west side, you'll find the Broad Street Mall, a popular shopping center.
To the north, St Mary's Butts connects with Broad Street. This is Reading's main shopping street, where only people can walk (it's "pedestrianised"). The town of Reading first started to grow around St Mary's Church and this area.
If you head south, St Mary's Butts reaches a crossroads. Here, it meets Gun Street to the east and Castle Street to the west. Bridge Street continues to the south.
History of St Mary's Butts
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Long ago, in the Middle Ages, a king named Edward IV made a rule. He said that all young men in England had to learn archery. Archery is the sport of shooting with a bow and arrow.
Archery Practice Grounds
Because of the king's rule, a special place was set up for archery practice. This place was called an "archery butts." It was located right in front of the Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin. The adult men of Reading would come here every Sunday to practice their archery skills.
Some of the archers who fought in the famous Battle of Agincourt even trained at St Mary's Butts. This battle was a big event in history. However, in 1631, the town decided to close the archery grounds. They paid £3 (three pounds) to do this.
The Jubilee Fountain
At the southern end of St Mary's Butts, you can see the Jubilee Fountain. This fountain was built in 1887. It was put there to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. A jubilee is a special anniversary, and the Golden Jubilee marked 50 years of Queen Victoria being on the throne.
