Reading gaol, prison home of Oscar Wilde, sold to educational foundation for £7m

Initial proposals for historic site include plans for educational centre, museum and exhibition space

It has hosted medieval kings, housed the imprisoned Oscar Wilde, and been decorated by Banksy. But for a decade, the site of the former Reading gaol, built on the footprint of the town's medieval monastery, has been shuttered and empty, to the frustration of local politicians and campaigners.

Now, a decade after it was mothballed by the Ministry of Justice, the former HMP Reading has finally been sold to a non-profit educational foundation for 7m, the government has confirmed.