Work is progressing with the changes to the Abbey Grounds:

1. Car Park improvements have been done

2. The play area was re-equipped and moved nearer to the River Thames, and nearer to all the other activities on the Abingdon Riviera.

3. The ornamental lake has been dredged and landscaped. For much of last year, a pile of mud was to left to dry before being carted away.

In Progress

4 The Italian Walk and Rock Garden has been cleared, and are awaiting restoration. Mr Trendell, who first designed the gardens, seemed keen on half ruined features such as columns and arches.

5 Trendell’s Folley – the one made to look like a ruined chapel – has been fenced off awaiting some work. Currently it is obscured by bushes, but the view will be opened out and it will become more of a focus.

Still to do

6 Archaeological investigations have shown the layout of the Abbey walls. The idea is to highlight their hidden presence with some markings, but keeping the open space.

7 The Formal Garden already has the original layout, but the paths may be resurfaced.

8 The Abbey Gateway will be resurfaced with traditional materials, and at the same time Old Abbey House will have a ramp added.

Reading last Sunday’s Observer, there was an article called: “Our Little obsessions laid bare by Victoria Coren:

“…The launch of Google Trends, a new service which allows users to see which phrases are most frequently searched in which areas of Britain, reveals a nation determined to broaden its horizons.

In Abingdon, for example, the most popular search term is ‘pony clubs’. For that, you are thinking, they could have used the phone book. But the second most popular search term in Abingdon is ‘Prince Harry’. Clearly, this is about more than just hacking round the suburbs on a docile quadruped. It is the expression of vaulting social ambition.

When Stratton Way was built Bath Street got cut into two halves, connected initially by an underpass, and now with pedestrian lights.

On one side is what has been described as a sensory garden – that is more for scent and feel than the normal way we take our flowers – as flamboyant blooms. It is made with herbs and dark irises and bushes for shade.

It may take many generations of feet to wear away one of these layers from the stones slabs that path the undercroft of the County Hall. And yet all those generations have gone their way and the stone remains with their slight impress.