The Hanson Way is a cycle route connecting Didcot, Abingdon, and Oxford, and is part of a larger national route. It is made up of stretches of specially built paths, made by Sustrans. It was financed by money generated by the landfill tax, as a millenium project.

This sign guides the cycle path through the Abbey grounds. The path makes up part of the National Cycle Network route 5. There are 6 main routes in England, which follow a convention like road naming. Route 5 runs from Reading up through Birmingham to Chester and then along the North Wales coast to Holyhead.

The path follows the mill stream, then a blue sign says “Cyclists Dismount” to cross over the bridge.

There were more people out walking their dogs than cyclists, but here are a couple of not too serious cyclists on their way back into town.

Fresh vegetation surrounds the path. Stinging nettles and cow parsley grow up behind a seat made from interlocking railway sleepers.

The cycle path continues with the Barton fields nature reserve on one side, and the Science park the other, then parallel to Thrupp Lane and past Radley Lakes.

I do understand how football can be more important than everything else from past experience. Here is Jim Smith, the new Oxford United manager, near the end of yesterday’s 3-2 defeat by Leyton Orient. Orient celebrated their promotion to League division 1, and Oxford were relegated to the conference league. ‘Gutted!’ is the word I think Jim is portraying here.

As to the Abingdon teams: Abingdon United finished in third place in the Hellenic League Premier division, and Abingdon Town were near the bottom of the same league, but having had a reasonable last few games to get them out of danger of relegation.

Traffic was again tailing back as it was reduced to a single lane, and stopped by temporary pedestrian lights at the bottom of Stratton Way. Here is the tail back along Ock Street at the junction with Conduit Road.

This was an added complication for the two hundred and fifty delegates attending the Methodist church synod (Oxford and Leicester District) at Trinity Church on Conduit Road. Trinity has a large church building, and so often gets chosen for hosting such get togethers.

I am not sure why the Methodists built such a grand Gothic church in 1875. It was designed by J Woodman, and has a matching church hall called the Conduit Centre.

Something a bit more contemporary. The lawn is shown here with the Conduit Centre behind. A prayer labyrinth has been drawn onto the grass. The instructions on the board tell people to go prayerfully round the labyrinth.

There is a new art gallery that opened a week ago in Stert Street. The work inside is contemporary, and has been collected for sale by Jennifer gerard. A gallery like this would not be out of place on the High Street in Oxford.

Abingdon already has an art gallery in the precinct (The Gift Centre and Abingdon Gallery). They are just finishing an exhibition of water colours of local scenes by Ken Messer. This one shows the Old Gaol. From May 20th they will be featuring original watercolours of Oxfordshire landscapes, and rowing by Ron Cosford.