The closing of Reading Gaol marks a time in the town’s history as significant as the release of Oscar Wilde from the institution 120 years ago.

This week (22/11) we celebrate the 9th anniversary of the closure in 2013.

The present neo-Tudor building was built in 1844 as one of the earliest designs by George Gilbert Scott with his partner William Bonythorn Moffatt.

The outer wall which was originally built with it’s castellated towers and gateways was demolished in 1971 however the original cell wings and central tower remain.

The most signigficant link that Reading Gaol has with British literature is when the famed author Oscar Wilde was imprisoned between 1895 and 1897 in cell 3.3, after which he released the poem, The Ballad of Reading Geol.

This highlighted his experience within the infamous and historic Gaol.

For many years Reading had two prisons; the County Gaol and the Borough Bridewell. The County Gaol was in Castle Street on the site now occupied by St Mary’s Church. This prison was described by prison reformer John Howard between 1773 and 1779. It housed both convicted felons and debtors.

Men and women shared a day room, but had separate night rooms. The men occupied a large dungeon. The gaoler was licensed to sell beer and wine to the prisoners. In 1793 this prison was replaced by a purpose-built gaol in the Forbury.

Over the year’s, the Gaol has been used for a number of different purposes. In August 1940 the Prison became the temporary home for a few months of a group of boys who had survived the bombing of Portland Borstal.

In 1945 part of the prison became a military detention centre for Royal Canadian Air Force. In 1946 the Prison reopened as part of HM Prison Service.

Between 23 and 24 February 1946 a number of prison inmates at the Aldershot Army 'glasshouse', a military prison, rioted destroying the main building. With the main building unusable, prisoners were transferred to other military and civil prisons, one of which was Reading.

From 1992 until the closure in 2013, the Gaol was a Remand Centre for Young Offenders.

Following the closure, much support has been given to the building surrounding its decision to transform the historic monument for new uses.

A star-studded list of celebrities have shown their support including Banksy, Liam Neeson and Ricky Gervais, many of whom feel that the space should be used as a cultural centre for emerging artists.

Banksy has raised £10 million, by selling his Create Escape stencil to try and help Reading Council buy the historic building.

The latest update on the Save Reading Gaol twitter page was the meeting between MP Matt Rhoda and the government.