In the shadow of the market hall, at the top of East St Helens Street, are the Punchbowl pub, and the Walkabout shop. Walkabout sells outdoor clothes and equipment. They currently have a sale on.

There ought to be plenty of bargains because it is a closing down sale (shame!) and everything must go.
Nearby, the Red Cross shop has just closed and everything has gone. There was an estate agent in there taking pictures.
But at a talk about such matters in the Busy Bee newsagent one person said, “If a charity shop cannot survive, things are bad.”

Here we are looking down East St Helens Street soon after midday. The sun is directly behind the steeple of St Helens Church.

These adjoining houses in East St Helens Street are examples of the flying freehold. This is where one freehold property overhangs part of a different freehold property. In this case the downstairs window belongs to the pink houses and the white- rendered upstairs belongs to next door.

During December good use is made of the window in the flying freehold.

It can rock. This horse is a museum piece.

It was ridden by generations of children where it used to be in the old Abbey Grounds. But the horse was taken away and put in storage for years.

When it finally reappeared after the new Abbey Grounds Playground was opened, there was one big difference. The grinning grafitti teeth had been painted over!!!

A sign at the bottom of Lodge Hill directs walkers to Radley 1½ miles away. But first the walk crosses a ditch and goes diagonally across what is currently a very boggy field…
before joining a tree-lined bridleway along the top of the hill.

The path dips down towards Radley College. A sign welcomes you and your dog but requests you to keep to the path, down the alley of trees and then along the main school road.There is an extensive golf course used by students of Radley College.

Near the college lake you will pass this tree. It looks like something out of Harry Potter. I kept an eye on that trailing branch, should it proove to be the Womping Willow.
The walk then passes through the college with its many red brick buildings: this one is called ‘A’ Social. Public Schools, from Hogwarts onwards, are a bit of a mystery to me.

From there, you can continue back to Abingdon via Radley, or return the way you came, if you want to brave the Womping Willow twice in a day. For more walks around Abingdon visit Abingdon Walks.