Category Archives: building work

Object in a Field

Theodolite
Trevor sent me this picture of an object in a field and says “Saw this today. It’s in the field behind the Morland Gardens development. Can’t be can it??”

The Morland Gardens development now shows as ‘Sold Out!’ on The Taylor Wimpey website. Work was nearing completion last time I visited.

Stone Masonry round the Market Place

Work continues on the Guildhall inside and out, and has been through the summer.
Stone Masonry
In recent days a specialist stone mason has started working on the front of St Nicolas Church where some of the detail on the old arches has been eroded and broken off by the weather. The stone mason has matched up the stone to replace some of the detail that has fallen off.
Stone Masonry
There is a secure scaffold round the NatWest Bank. The eroded pillars had been protected by white boards before this work started.

Hilton Garden Inn summer progress

Hilton Garden Inn
The developers have made good progress over the summer, and the extension to the Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon has reached its final size and just needs fitting out.
Hilton Garden Inn
The existing rooms will also be refurbished, if they have not been already. Some work has happened to some of them.
Hilton Garden Inn
This will mean the Hilton Garden Inn and Premier Inn, both on the Marcham Road, and not far from the A34, will be the big two hotels in Abingdon. There is also the Crown and Thistle in the town centre with 18 more interesting rooms. Abingdon does need more hotel accommodation in the town centre but the Upper Reaches has been boarded up for two years, and there has not been any news on that for quite a while.

Demolition Plan B for Didcot A

Demolition Plan B
A revised demolition plan for the remainder of the Didcot A power station with the three remaining cooling towers and chimney has been cleared by RWE Npower and is now planned for summer 2019.
Demolition Plan B
The demolition should have been completed a year ago, but something went wrong and the boiler house collapsed while it was being weakened for demolition. Four employees were killed. The view from the Margaret Brown Gardens in Abingdon looking down the River Thames still shows the chimney and part of the remaining towers in the summer of 2018.
Demolition Plan B
They will still be visible from the south of Abingdon for another year.