Under wraps

Thursday, 14 April 2011 11:53

A walk from Abingdon Lock on the River Thames, over the weir and along a path, brought us to Abbey Meadow.

The Meadow was well "populated" as the sun was out and lots of children were playing on the swings, slides and other play things provided. So what else was there to see and what was under wraps? ...

Abingdon, as well as claiming to be the oldest continuously inhabited town (since the Iron Age), was the home of the MG car and a well known beer called "Old Speckled Hen". The beer was brewed by Morland in Abingdon to mark the 50 years of MG production. It was named after an old MG used as a runabout and covered in specks of paint. Dubbed "Owld Speckled 'Un", the name seemed appropriate!

On our travels we have seen a couple of narrowboats named this too - are they from Abingdon or do their owners, like John, enjoy the beer? Click here for a list of Abingdon pubs. At least one of them is involved in the CAMRA campaign.

Abingdon wildlife!

Many(!) years ago, John lived here for a short time. He worked at the Science Research Council's Atlas Computer Laboratory in Didcot as part of his university course. His memory of that time is somewhat lacking though! (However it has been awakened by looking at the Atlas Computer Laboratory website. For those of you who remember huge computer rooms with machines like the ICL 1906A, punched cards, demountable discs, teletypes and the like, (not to mention min-skirts!) it will be a trip down memory lane. I worked for John Baldwin - who I more recently met at St.Eval Church as Rev. John Baldwin - and Bob Hopgood. Ed.)

Formal gardens

All that is left of Abingdon St Mary's Abbey is the outline created in Abbey Gardens, the gateway and St Nicholas' Church and some domestic buildings. The remains below may look "Abbey-like" but are actually of Trendell's Folly, built as an Abbey "mock up" in the 1920s.

Trendell's Folly

We went into the 12th century St Nicholas' Church - once the Abbey church for its lay men, servants and visitors. The exterior has changed little, but internal changes restoration include the "rescue" by the Victorians and restoration after a serious chancel fire in 1953. The verger was exceptionally helpful and welcoming.

St Nicholas' Church and way to the Abbey gateway

It contains a Jacobean pulpit that used to be a 3-tier affair (the Victorians took out the box pews!)

The Blacknall Aisle is a memorial to the grandson of the William Blacknall who bought the Abbey ruins after dissolution. The window is Tudor

It was sad (for us) to see that the 17th century baroque County Hall was "under wraps". One of the gems of Abingdon, once it was a multi-purpose building. The cellars were a warehouse, the lower colonnade a market and the upper floor a courtroom. It now houses the Museum. The building is undergoing a £3 million improvement project and will not be open until the autumn of next year.

Those of you who know Abingdon will be waiting to hear about St Helen's Church and the wharf area! We have yet to explore that end of town. The good thing about Abingdon is that it has FREE 5 day moorings! The bad thing is that these become full very quickly!