There has been a lot of activity at Old Abbey House, with tradespeople coming and going. The roof looks nearly complete, but it is difficult to tell how work is progressing inside and when the hotel will be open.
P.S. The planning application for widening the gate was the hotel at Cosenors House. I saw ‘hotel’ and did not double-check. Apologies
Development continues on the other new estate, Abbey Fields. It is separated from Kings Gate by the Tilsley Park sports facility with an athletics track and all-weather sports pitches.
The view from Tilsley Park makes Abbey Fields look picturesque with the new drainage lake in the foreground. There has been a lot of rain recently, and this could be less of a lake during the summer.
Abbey Fields borders the A34, and between houses and the road is a mound of earth topped by a fence to form a sound barrier.
Where the mound ends, the fence is about twenty feet tall.
People on the new Kings Gate estate have a wide dual-use (cycle and pedestrian) path that leads to the new store.
That also gives a good route for pedestrians and cyclists from some of the older houses if they cross from around Farm Road to the new Vernon Place. So far the new roads have a Mayor of Abingdon theme, which only holds if Vernon Place is named after Dr Vernon Butt (Mayor 1996-97).
The other new road, Walker Grove, could be after Pamela Walker (Mayor 1979-1980).
The estate also has a half-hourly bus service to Oxford or Abingdon town centre (and Wantage) with the X1.
The new hotel by Tesco is two stories high, with two more to come. There is a Community Board on the hoardings to inform people about the progress.
October included a complete steel frame and reinforced concrete floor. Install crane and commence external scaffolding. November has external wall construction and windows. Begin internal wall construction with services.
Meanwhile, by Hartwells on Drayton Road, the new 3-story building is well underway. It will contain 4 one bedroom and two 2 bedroom apartments with 7 car parking spaces
The development at the old ferry boat house has begun.