Excavations carried out on Friar Street in 1997 at the location of a proposed extension Marks and Spencer store by the Oxford Archaeological Unit revealed successive layers of old buildings, some of which date back to the 13th century.

The Frank Matcham-designed Royal County Theatre, built in 1895, was located on the south side of Friar Street.
It burned down in 1937.

The opening of a Sainsbury's supermarket in 1963 led to the closure of many smaller shops.
Excavations carried out on Friar Street in 1997 at the location of a proposed extension Marks and Spencer store by the Oxford Archaeological Unit revealed successive layers of old buildings, some of which date back to the 13th century.
The Frank Matcham-designed Royal County Theatre, built in 1895, was located on the south side of Friar Street. It burned down in 1937.
The opening of a Sainsbury's supermarket in 1963 led to the closure of many smaller shops.
Friar Street, Reading