[1][2] Forbury, a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, was named after the gardens by early resident William Henry Valpy, who was born in Reading.

After this, the buildings of the abbey were extensively looted, with lead, glass and facing stones removed for reuse elsewhere, and the focus of the town moved away from the Forbury.

During the Siege of Reading (1642–43), the Royalist garrison built defences that further damaged the remains of the Abbey, and Forbury Hill was used as a gun emplacement.

The origins of Forbury Hill are uncertain, but core samples taken in 2017 by the University of Reading have shown that it cannot be earlier than the 13th century, and was most likely created during the Civil War using rubble from the abbey ruins.

[4][6][7] As a result of the concerns sparked in England by the French Revolution, and throughout the ensuing Napoleonic Wars, the Forbury was used for military drills and parades, in addition to its well-established use for fairs and circuses.

[8] By the first years of the 19th century, the western part of the Forbury was in use as a playground or sports ground for Reading School, which at this time was housed in the former Hospitium of St John.

[8][9] In 1854, Forbury Hill and the eastern section of the present gardens were sold to Reading Corporation at the cost of £1200, of which £400 was donated by the previous owner, a Mr Wheble.

It was decided that fairs should no longer be held there, but the emphasis remained on recreational use rather than botanical display, with the area grassed except for the outside walks and a gravelled parade ground.

A grey stone cross on a small mound was erected in 1909, in memory of Henry I, on the north-west corner of the footings of the Abbey Church.

The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded Reading Borough Council £2.13 million to restore the historic features of the Forbury Gardens and improve safety and access for visitors.

[15] In 2015, a statue was unveiled to the memory of Trooper Fred Potts VC, who was awarded the Victoria Cross in October 1915 after endangering his own life to drag a wounded comrade from the battlefield at the Battle of Scimitar Hill.

[16][17][18] This sculpture by Eric Stanford is a memorial to those lost in the Spanish Civil War and preparatory sketches are held by the University of Reading.

[2][20] In 2023, the garden's bandstand underwent a significant refurbishment, with the structure being conserved and repainted in the original colours of white and green and the previously grassed slopes around the podium replaced with cobbles.