After about thirty years of trading the Busy Bee is to close at the end of the month. Sad but true.
The traffic up West St Helen Street is partly to blame. People are less inclined to stop their car to pick up a paper and loose their place in the angry traffic queue.
The legal papers have all been signed. The Old Gaol’s big secret is out. The details of the chosen developer, and three other contenders are on the Vale Web Site. 18 comments were added within the hour on the Abingdon Herald web site – a record. Most said ‘Not more housing.’
The winning developer is Abingdon based Cranbourne Homes. You may have already seen their signs at the ex Ambulance Station and the ex Crossroads Garage. They have now added to their portfolio the ex Police Station and Old Gaol. Their offices are to be found in the courtyard behind the Brewery Tap in Ock Street.
Cranbourne Homes also own, and will be developing the adjoining Twickenham House at the same time as the Old Gaol complex to provide 61 homes in total. There will also be 14 units of affordable housing at Harcourt Way. A certain percent needs to be affordable in any development, and it appears that the rules allow them to be split across two locations.
Homes are the main business of Cranbourne Homes. But at the old Gaol there will also be:
So it could have been worse. It could have been all hotel and housing with a small area for local people to show their handicraft. It looks like the best one of the four schemes was chosen. But read the Wikipedia entry about Abingdon “For a town of its size, Abingdon is somewhat bereft of leisure facilities. The Regal Cinema closed in the 1980…etc etc…”
This is another chance gone.
A few more flood pictures while it lasts:
From the submerged towpath looking towards Abingdon Bridge.
From about the same place looking towards the cricket / croquet pitch beyond the trees.
The blue childrens water feature shows above the water in the Abbey Meadows.
Looking from Abingdon Lock along the handrail of the submerged landing stage.
Branching from the Thames, the nearest of the two channels that rush away down swift ditch. A weir is down there somewhere.
Across river, and further upstream, a one-time lake, complete with rescue ring. The lake was filled with fly ash piped from a nearby power station about four years ago.
Nearby fields show how the land would lie without such industrial intervention.
Next to Abingdon rowing club, the old Kingfisher Canoe Club hut is being demolished. The rowing club has planning permission to expand, so they can hold more boats ,and will need the land taken by the old hut.
The canoes can be seen some way behind the fire of the old hut.
The new hut is nearby and all ready.