1, 1A, 2 and 2A, Reading Street

Two houses in terrace, now flats, were built in 1847 for the Great Western Railway Company as part of a village designed to house workers for the Great Western Railway works. The village, located to the south of the railway line, was initially planned in 1840 by I.K. Brunel, although he only designed the first block, which was intended to be more decorative due to its visibility from the railway. Construction began in 1842 but was delayed due to financial difficulties, with the cottages being completed between 1842 and 1855. The village is one of Britain’s best-preserved and architecturally ambitious railway settlements.

The houses are constructed of ashlar stone in black mortar, with coursed rubble to the rear wall, and have slate roofs. They feature stone-based brick stacks on the gable walls. Each house is two storeys and three bays wide. The design includes a central door and hallway with flanking rooms. A 20th-century brick lean-to has been added to the rear. The front doors are fifteen-pane and are set within painted chamfered surrounds with splayed stops, raised one step. They are topped with a blind light. The windows are tripartite two-pane sashes within chamfered surrounds, and have label moulds over all ground floor openings.