Abingdon

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Situated on the west bank of the River Thames, some seven-miles downstream of the City of Oxford, Abingdon is an important and historic market town. Recent excavations have established that Abingdon is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in England.

Abingdon town centre contains an attractive and historic blend of buildings and architecture dating from 1100 to the present day. The town’s pedestrian precinct and surrounding streets contain a wide variety of shops, restaurants and public houses, whilst a short walk takes the visitor to the attractive river frontage of the Abbey Meadow or the riverside moorings adjacent to the Abingdon Bridge.

Although no longer in production in Abingdon, the M.G. sports car was produced here until 1979. The town is now home to many thriving new industries, established on spacious, light industrial estates and Science Parks, including computing and the manufacture of scientific instruments and cosmetics. Its older industry of printing continues to flourish in the town.

In 1946 the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority opened a research establishment at Harwell and many of their staff came to settle in Abingdon. Later, further institutes were founded nearby at Culham Laboratories, and recently a European link was forged with the establishment of the Joint European Torus Project (J.E.T.), also at Culham. Abingdon has become home for many families working there. For both residents and visitors Abingdon is large enough to provide good and varied facilities, but small enough to remain friendly and to retain its special character.

Abingdon’s history is rich and varied. The town grew up outside the gates of the seventh century Abingdon Abbey that, at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1538, was the sixth richest in Britain. Little of the Abbey remained but the town’s prosperity continued with its Monday Market - established well before 1328 and still thriving today. In the year 2000 a Farmers’ Market was established on the third Monday of each month, and this is proving very popular in and beyond the town. In the Middle Ages Abingdon Market Place was the scene of some of the most important fairs in the country. The traditions of the past are very much alive today in modern Abingdon as it hosts the annual Michaelmas Fair and, one week later, the Runaway Fair. These have as their origins the methods of hiring and firing labour in the period after the Black Death in 1348. The Michaelmas Fair of today is the longest street fair in Europe. There are other traditions which are important to the town. One of these is that in June each year visitors gather to watch the traditional Morris Men dance the length of Ock Street as they celebrate the election of the “Mayor of Ock Street”.


Abingdon Monday Market
In 1556 Abingdon received its Borough Charter from Queen Mary Tudor and Philip of Spain. The town’s long history of local government began with the establishment of the Borough Council in that year, and Abingdon became the County town of Berkshire. In 2006 the town celebrates the 450th anniversary of the granting of its first charter, and a series of events is planned to celebrate this anniversary. The County Assize Courts were held in the magnificent County Hall on the South side of the Market Place until 1869 when they were transferred to Reading, as was the status of ‘County Town’. The roof of this building is the scene for the unusual custom of bun throwing, which started at the Coronation of George III in 1760, and involves the Mayor and Councillors throwing buns to the people in the Market Place below, usually to commemorate royal occasions. This tradition continues to this day, and in 2002 a bun throwing of 4,000 currant buns was held to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. As a result of Local Government re-organisation in 1974, Abingdon ceased to be a Municipal Borough. Together with North Berkshire it formed the new Vale of White Horse District and became part of the County of Oxfordshire.

The centre of the town is dominated by the gracious dignity of the County Hall built between 1678 and 1682 by Christopher Kempster. It is one of the finest examples of the architectural style of Christopher Wren. The cellars were used as a warehouse, the lower colonnade as a market - as it still is today - and the upper floor as a Courtroom. Nowadays this fine building is home to the town museum and is well worth a visit. The Museum is open daily, 10.30am to 4pm (Telephone 01235 523703 to check with regard to opening at Christmas/Bank Holidays).


The Old Gaol,built in 1811
St Nicolas Church, at the east side of the Market Place, was built in the 12th century for the lay servants of the Abbey. It contains a Jacobean pulpit and the tomb of John and Jane Blacknall, built in 1687, where, for many years in accordance with the wishes expressed in their will, loaves were placed upon the tomb each month to be distributed to the poor of the town. This custom has now ceased. Alongside this church runs Abbey Close, which used to pass beneath the Abbey Gateway built around 1460. After the dissolution of the monasteries the Borough bought the room above the archway and used it as the Borough prison for almost 250 years. In 1811 a new County Gaol was built in Bridge Street and all the prisoners were transferred there.

To the right of the Gateway, in Roysse Court, are the Guildhall and its cluster of ancient buildings. Some of these buildings housed a school re-established by John Roysse in 1563; others served as St John’s Hospital for travellers and the poor. The Council Chamber of 1731 and the Roysse Room are of particular interest. On view in the Guildhall are many excellent paintings, the Corporation Plate and a collection of 18th century pewter. All these may be seen by arrangement with the Guildhall office (entrance off Abbey Close, telephone 01235 524085).


The Checker, Old Abbey
Buildings
Next to Roysse Court is the Crown and Thistle, an old coaching inn dating from 1605. Its name commemorates the union of England and Scotland under James I.
At the bottom of Bridge Street is the Old Gaol, built in 1811 by Napoleonic prisoners of war. It housed all prisoners for the County of Berkshire for 56 years. In 1874 it was sold to a corn merchant who used it as his store for almost a hundred years. Facing the Old Gaol is Thames Street at the far end of which is the narrow entrance to the few surviving buildings of the Old Abbey. The first room was once the Abbey Granary. Beyond this are the Checker, a fine 13th century room, and the Long Gallery with its splendid oak beamed roof. These buildings are open to the public at certain times.

The Upper Reaches Hotel, by the bridge, is built on the site of the monastic watermill. The stream to bring water from the Thames to the mill was dug by the monks in the 10th century and corn was ground there almost continually up until 1967. Inside the hotel the watermill can still be seen as a feature of the restaurant.

Abingdon Bridge is nearly 590 years old and is really three bridges linked together: Abingdon Bridge proper (nearest the town, with its 15th century arches spanning the backwater), Burford Bridge (over the main stream of the Thames , the name being a corruption of Borough Ford Bridge), and Maud Hales Bridge (over the marshy ground to the south). The first two bridges were built by the Fraternity of the Holy Cross, a medieval guild, and linked to Culham Bridge by a raised causeway still used as a footpath today. Hales Bridge is an example of 15th century flood arches erected and named after William and Maud Hales in 1430. The cricket ground nearby also bears this name.


The river Thames in spring, looking towards St Helen’s Church
From the rear of the County Hall running towards the river is East Saint Helen Street, containing fine examples of Abingdon’s domestic architecture from the 15th century onwards. Framed at its end is the imposing tower and spire of Saint Helen’s Church. Dating back to the 10th century, the church was enlarged during the next three centuries as Abingdon grew and prospered. Now wider than it is long, its features include a 200 year old candelabra, the tomb of John Roysse, who refounded Abingdon’s Grammar School in 1563 and the 14th century painted wooden ceiling in the Lady Chapel.

Flanking Saint Helen’s Churchyard are three almshouses - the Long Alley, built in 1446, Twitty’s in 1707 and Brick Alley in 1718. These homes have been skilfully renovated and are still in use today, administered by the Master and Governors of Christ’s Hospital, a charitable trust created by Royal Charter in 1553.

Behind the church runs St Helen’s Wharf and this leads to a small iron bridge over the River Ock. The bridge was erected in 1824 by the Wilts and Berks Canal company whose waterway joined the Thames nearby.

Abingdon is twinned with Argentan in France, Lucca in Italy and Schongau in Germany (Bavaria).

As part of the Vale of White Horse District Council it is also affiliated with St. Niklaas in Belgium and Colmar in France.
The White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre opened in spring 2002 and is situated off Audlett Drive, one of the town’s peripheral roads. Activities/facilities accommodated in the centre include: tennis (indoor and outdoor courts), swimming, squash, badminton, basketball, gym, fitness suite, netball, bowls and a creche.

The Abbey Meadow at the end of Abbey Close has public tennis courts, a children’s water play park, crazy golf, a 9 hole pitch and putt golf course and nearby, in the Abbey Gardens, a children’s play area.

River fishing permits are available from the Town Council Offices, Old Abbey House, Abbey Close. These allow rods to be used from Nuneham Railway Bridge to Culham Footbridge. No permit is required for children under 12 years of age. Day permits are also available from Goffs newsagents in Bridge Street.

An excellent 36-hole golf course is only 3 miles away at Frilford Heath and there is an 18-hole course at Drayton.

Situated on the northern edge of the town, off Dunmore Road, is Tilsley Park with all weather football and hockey pitches and a running track. Also at Barrow Hill, off Audlett Drive, is a BMX track.
Places of Worship - Churches and Chapels
Abbey Baptist Church 01235 530411
Checker Walk. Sunday Meetings: 10.30am & 6.30pm

Abingdon Christian Spiritualist Church
Services held in Fitzharry’s Common Room, Wootton Road. Sunday Service: 6.15pm

All Saints Methodist Church 01235 521868
Appleford Drive. Sunday Services: 10.30am (Morning Worship and Junior Church) & 6.30pm

Abingdon Baptist Church 01235 206127
Baptist Church, Ock Street. Sunday Service: 10.30am & 6.30pm. Contact the secretary

Abingdon Community Church 01235 521622
Services held in John Mason School Hall, Wootton Road, Abingdon. Sunday Service: 10.30am.

Catholic Church of Our Lady and Saint Edmund (Roman Catholic) 01235 520375
Edmund of Abingdon, Radley Road. Sunday Mass: 8am; 9.30am; 11am; 7pm.

Christ Church (Church of England) 01235 539172
Northcourt Road. Sunday Services: 9.30am & 11.15am (Morning Worship); 6.30pm (Evening Worship); Communion 4th Sunday of each month.

Christ Church on Long Furlong 01235 539172
Sunday Services: 10am Morning Worship. Thursday: 10.30am Singing Circle for pre-school children and parents.

Church of St Michael and All Angels (Church of England) 01235 520297
Park Road. Sunday Services: 9.30am & 6.30pm.

Parish Church of St. Helen (Church of England) 01235 520144
West St. Helen Street. Sunday Services: 8am; 10am; 6.30pm. Weekdays: Morning Prayer 9am, Evening Prayer 5.30pm. Holy Communion: Mon 7.15pm, Weds 10.30am, Fri 12.15pm.

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) 01235 525158
Abbey Centre, Audlett Drive. Meeting for Worship: Sunday 10.15am

Saint Mary Magdalene (Church of England)
Barrow Road, Shippon. Sunday Services: 10.30am (Holy Communion at 9.00am on 4th Sunday)

St. Nicolas’ Church (Church of England) 01235 520297
Market Place. Sunday Services: 8am Holy Communion, 11am (1st Sunday of each month, Morning Prayer, 3rd Sunday Family Service and 2nd & 4th Sundays Family Communion with Junior Church)

The Peachcroft Christian Centre (Ecumenical) 01235 530227 or 554234
Lindsay Drive, Peachcroft. Sunday Services: 10am.

The Salvation Army 01235 523568
West St. Helen Street. Sunday Services: 11am & 4.30pm

Trinity Church (Methodist and United Reformed) 01235 520282
Sunday Services: 10.30am (Family Worship and Junior Church) & 6.30pm.

Education
Primary Schools
Caldecott County Primary School, Caldecott Road. 01235 523132
Carswell Community Primary School, Bostock Road 01235 521578
Dunmore Infants School, Northcourt Road 01235 520543
Dunmore Junior School, Northcourt Road. 01235 520550
Rush Common County Primary School, Hendred Way. 01235 533583
St. Edmund’s RC Primary School, Radley Road. 01235 521558
St Nicolas CE Primary School, Boxhill Walk. 01235 520456
Thameside Primary School, Cotman Close. 01235 527600
Thomas Reade County Primary, Radley Road. 01235 554795

Secondary Schools
Fitzharry’s School, Northcourt Road. 01235 520698
John Mason School, Wootton Road. 01235 524664
Larkmead School, Faringdon Road. 01235 520141

Special Schools
Kingfisher School, Radley Road. 01235 555512

Independent Schools
Abingdon School, Park Road.
Boarding and Day School for Boys aged 11 to 18 years. 01235 521563
Our Lady’s Convent School, Radley Road.
Day school for girls aged 41/2 years to 18 years; day preparatory school for boys 41/2 years to 11 years. 01235 524658 (senior)
01235 523147 (junior)
Radley College, Radley.
Boarding School for Boys aged 11 to 18 years 01235 543000
The European School, Culham.
Nursery, Primary and Secondary School, intended largely for children of personnel of institutions of the European Community. 01235 522621
The Manor Preparatory School, Faringdon Road.
Day School for girls aged 3 to 11 years and boys aged 3 to 7 years. 01235 523789
The School of St Helen and St Katharine, Faringdon Road.
Boarding and Day School for Girls aged 9 to 18 years. 01235 520173

Colleges
Abingdon and Witney College, Northcourt Road. 01235 555585

Pre-Schools
There are many thriving pre-school groups in the town. For further information contact the Oxfordshire Children’s Information Service. 01993 88693

Useful Local Info
Citizens’ Advice Bureau 01235 521894
Situated in Old Abbey House (next to the Abingdon Town Council Office) Call for free advice. Email: Abingdon-cab@dial.pipex.com
Office Hours: Mon, Wed & Fri 10am-4pm Tues & Thurs 10am-1pm

Clubs and Societies
Listed here are some of the many interests served by clubs meeting in the town.
Further information may be obtained from:
Abingdon Town Council, Old Abbey House, Abbey Close.
or by visiting the Town Council’s website www.abingdon.gov.uk. t. 01235 522642
f. 01235 533112
Interests served include sailing, rowing, history, archaeology, orchestral music, model railways, Morris dancing, bridge, football, squash, badminton, aerobics, martial arts, photography, tennis, bowls and many others.

Coat of Arms
Abingdon has as its badge a green heraldic shield bearing a large central gold cross (derived from the Arms of the Fraternity of the Holy Cross, a medieval charitable guild in the Parish Church of Saint Helen) and four smaller silver crosses, one in each quarter (which take their colour from the silver cross on the original Abbey arms, although their shape suggests another link with the Fraternity of the Holy Cross). The motto “Faith and Industry” was chosen by Alderman Barber in 1958 when Abingdon received its coat of arms from the College of Arms.

Dalton Barracks
The army moved into the old RAF base at the beginning of 1993. They renamed the base as Dalton Barracks which is home to the Royal Logistic Corps.

Health Centres
Malthouse Surgery, The Charter.
Long Furlong Medical Centre
The Family Health Centre, Marcham Road.
The Abingdon Surgery, 65 Stert Street. 01235 524001
01235 522379
01235 522602
01235 523126

Hospitals
Abingdon Community Hospital, Marcham Road.
01235 205700
NO EMERGENCY SERVICE use John Radcliffe Hospital,
Headley Way, Headington, Oxford. 01865 741166

Library 01235 520374
Located in the Charter and run by Oxfordshire County Council Cultural Services, the library offers lending and reference facilities for adults and children.
Opening Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri 9am-7pm. Thurs 9am-1pm. Sat 9am - 4.30pm

Local Government
Abingdon Town Council, Old Abbey House, Abbey Close.
Office Hours: 9am-5pm. Town Clerk: Mr NE Warner 01235 522642
Vale of White Horse District Council, Abbey House, Abbey Close.
Office Hours: 8.45am-5pm Chief Executive: Mr T Stock 01235 520202
Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, Oxford.
Chief Executive: Mrs J. Simons 01865 792422

Museum
Abingdon, County Hall, Abingdon.
01235 523703
Open every day 10.30am - 4pm. (Contact museum for details of Christmas/Bank Holiday opening)

Newspapers
Abingdon Herald. Published weekly on Thursdays.
Part of the Newsquest Oxfordshire Group
01235 522388
Oxford Mail. Daily evening publication (Mon-Sat) 01865 425262
The Courier. Published weekly by Milestone Group plc (Oxford) 01235 547800

Parking Facilities
Multi-storey car park. Off Stert Street.
Pay and Display car parks: Off West St Helen Street • Rye Farm (beyond Abingdon Bridge) • Abbey Close (2) • Thames View (off Audlett Drive) • Town Centre
on-street pay & display: East and West St. Helen Street, Bridge Street, Thames Street and Withington Court.


Parks and Gardens
Abingdon has several beautiful parks. Albert Park, 300 yards north of Ock Street, is a 19th century formal garden surrounding a statue of the Prince Consort. The park includes a bowling green. The Abbey Meadow, by the river, is a wide expanse of open natural parkland with riverside walks as far as Abingdon Lock. Nag’s Head Island is a small tranquil garden, beautifully planted, where one may sit and watch the ever-changing river scene. Walkers can enjoy the Thames Footpath which runs along side the river from Abingdon to Radley and cyclists can now follow Route 5 of the Sustrans cycle network through Abingdon.

Population
30,626 (Census, 2001)

Post Offices
General Post Office, High Street.
Opening Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 9am-5.30pm
Wed 9.30am-5.30pm. Sat 9.30am-12.30pm
There are Sub post offices throughout the town.

Trains and Buses
Nearby Didcot and Oxford are served by main line trains with fast and frequent services to Paddington in under an hour. Long distance coaches to the West Country stop in Abingdon. There are regular coach services to London, Heathrow and Gatwick from Oxford, and local bus services link Abingdon with Oxford, Didcot, Wantage, Wallingford and other local towns and villages.

Visitor and Community Information
The Old Abbey House, Abbey Close, Abingdon.
01235 522711
Opening hours: June to Sept, Mon to Sat 10am - 4pm. Oct to May, Mon to Sat 10am - 3pm.

Youth Services/Centres

The Net, Abingdon Youth and Community Centre, Stratton Way 01235 521469
Abingdon Bridge, Bridge Street. 01235 522375
Trinity Hall Youth Fellowship, Conduit Road
Hadland Road Centre, Hadland Road
Oxfordshire County Council Youth Service 01865 815166


 

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