Abingdon in the Heat: a brief report from another hot day

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This morning the sun shone and there were no clouds to shade its brilliance.

Town council staff were out early in the Market Place, giving the hanging baskets much-needed water. On a day like this, hydration wasn’t just important for plants, but for the town’s people too.

The Climate Emergency Centre opened, unusually on Tuesday and Wednesday, to offer the use of the cool basement space below the museum, where people could have a drink of water,

Most state schools closed for the afternoon and are expected to close tomorrow afternoon as temperatures remain high.

Some people headed to the River Thames, with paddle boards and canoes. The open-air pool was busy, and other people relaxed by the river bank.

Temperatures reached around 34°C today in Abingdon, with another hot day forecast for tomorrow. The hottest June temperature ever recorded in the UK happened today. It was 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire

Looking ahead, the forecast suggests the heat will continue through Thursday before any change.

Hidden Community Garden in North Abingdon

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Hidden away among the green spaces between the housing estates of North Abingdon, the Dunmore Farm Community Garden is the sort of place that many residents may pass by without ever knowing it is there. Created and maintained by local volunteers, it has transformed a grassy area of land into a community garden.

In 2024, local residents began exploring the creation of a community garden on Town Council-owned land, working with organisations including Abingdon Carbon Cutters and Community Action Groups Oxfordshire. After a year of planning and consultation, the project received council approval, and work began in March 2025. It has also been supported by businesses.

Volunteers created raised beds, planted fruit trees, flowers, herbs, and vegetables, installed water butts and composting facilities, and added wildlife features such as a bug hotel. The community space produces food, supports biodiversity, and brings local people to learn together.

One of the garden’s most distinctive features is a sail-like tarpaulin designed to collect rainwater. Following yesterday evening’s thunderstorm and overnight rain, it helped replenish some of the stored water after a warm day and ahead of what forecasters say could be the hottest June day on record.

New Sewer Route at Peachcroft Roundabout

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Work has been underway again at Peachcroft Roundabout (since the start of June), with four-way temporary traffic lights causing hold-ups for motorists. According to information on one.network, the current phase involves the installation of a foul sewer connection. This sewer is needed before the roundabout improvement scheme can be completed. The scheme includes a new left-turn lane that will allow traffic heading towards Lodge Hill to bypass the roundabout.

Many people will remember that work began on the new sewer last year, and traffic lights caused delays then, only for progress to stall and much of the site to be cleared.

Progress was held up by a combination of legal complications, approvals, the discovery of unknown underground pipes, and subsequent redesigns to the sewer network.

The latest redesign of the sewer attempts to avoid conflicts with existing underground pipes, allowing work to move forward once again.

Completion of both the sewer works and the roundabout improvements is required under planning agreements linked to the North Abingdon development. Until the improvements are delivered, restrictions remain on the occupation of homes on the development.

Midsummer’s Day at St Ethelwolds

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It was Midsummer’s Day and, as part of an annual tradition, tea, coffee, and cakes were served in the garden at St Ethelwold’s House. The sun shone.

It was also World Music Day, and several musicians from Make Music Abingdon were in the garden playing and improvising. The sun shone.