Abingdon has a new Tourist Attraction the Abingdon Abbey Heritage Trail. Henry the Eighth had St Mary’s Abbey Demolished but there are still many clues and ancillary buildings remaining. If you do the whole trail including the outlying Barton Court Ruins you will get quite a walk however most of the Heritage Trail are close to the town centre.
My First attempt at a map Abingdon Abbey Heritage Trail Map
Choose Abingdon is a great website for finding out what’s on in Abingdon.
The Choose Abingdon Partnership builds on Abingdon’s existing strengths and history to support and improve the economic, social and cultural vitality of the town for all its businesses, residents and visitors, and specifically to:
Envision, plan and act as a catalyst for positive change.
Bring together and coordinate those activities of various organisations and businesses concerned with the town’s future.
Influence and engage with the visions, strategic plan and actions of various local authorities and other external projects.
Communicate the aspirations of the town.
Initiate and implement its own projects.
This friendly local cycling group welcomes riders of all abilities and ages for rides on and off road so please feel free to join any of their rides to try out the group.
Abingdon On Thames has been readopted as the town’s name to attract more visitors. Curiously several older street name signs still carry the old Borough of Abingdon-On-Thames name (note the hyphens). The ‘on-Thames’ suffix was dropped in 1974 when the town ‘moved’ from Berkshire into Oxfordshire.
This is a circular walk from Stadhampton through attractive parkland that was once part of the Dormer family estate. The manor house the Dormer family occupied for some 250 years has long since vanished, but many features of historic interest remain. Newells Farm Shop Stadhampton OX44 7XJ is a good place to park and a good place to get a cup of tea. The walk is easy and returns by Stadhampton Village Green. A Walk Leaflet is available. The garage shop in Stadhampton is also open for emergency supplies.
See this marvellous photo in large scale here . Can you identify the people or the event. The photo is taken in front of number three Stert Street Abingdon.
An Alldays & Onions 8 HP car manufactured in 1905 breaks down outside the Golden Cross pub, Stert Street during a 1915 parade.
To quote from Michael Harrison’s site http://www.mjfh1.demon.co.uk/hist.htm
During the four years following 1914, Charlotte Young, daughter of William and Amy Higgs, and her husband Ernest Young were the lessees; Ernest Young was a blacksmith who later worked for MG Cars. The Youngs’ daughter, Winifred, grew up in the house and lived in it with her new husband, George Lewis, a chemical engineer, until they bought their own property. Charlotte Young continued to rent No 3 until the freehold was sold in 1969; it had ceased to be a pub in 1921.
Abingdonians turned out in mass for Remembrance Sunday in bright sunshine and warm weather. One of the highlights was a fly past by a single plane which seemed thrillingly low. The crowds warmly applauded the troops marching by and they were noticeably touched. A theme this year seemed to be to have a woman leading each detachment of the various services. This was apparently the 90th Remembrance Sunday (they took a while after 1918 before they were first organised. The whole event went off very well.
