A former World War I barracks, has survived until the present.

It is unused and delipidated and there are plans to demolish it and replace it with two houses.

After World War I, the barrack hut was moved to its present location in Swinburne Road, Abingdon, as a Boys Club. It then served as a day hospital and a Home Guard base (evenings and weekends) during World War II.

In the postwar years, the building became a dance studio. It operated under the names ‘Bretts of Abingdon’ and later ‘Selleck School of Dancing’ and the ‘Abingdon Dance Studio.’ The Abingdon Dance Studio has since moved to Larkmead Secondary School and West Wing Studio.

The barrack room hut is still standing with a concrete extension, and a car park, but not for much longer. The latest planning application for its demolition is under review by the Vale of White Horse District Council. Nobody dances there anymore. Nobody says, ‘Don’t Panic!’

Located in The Vineyard in Abingdon, The Old Maltings was originally built, as the name suggests, for malting.

In 1999, the building was converted into the offices of Sovereign Housing Association, who manage most of the social housing in Abingdon. The building had open-plan office spaces, meeting rooms and car parking beneath. But Sovereign have moved their offices from Abingdon and it was sold.

Recent planning approvals have opened the way for it to become residential. The existing Maltings at the back is set to be converted into 21 residential flats under planning applications approved a year ago in 2023. There are pending applications to construct two new houses in the former car park and a 5-bedroom House with Multiple Occupancy at the front. The last plan will remove the external staircase, lift, and canopy. This will maximize the amount of housing and reduce the amount of car parking and change the front which the developer described as ‘unsightly later additions’.

Public comment on the proposals have closed. A final decision has not been made, but some of the work is progressing.

Most of the new homes in Abbey Fields have been built on the left side of the footpath going towards Sunningwell. Now, homes are being built on the right side too. The development has started away from Dunmore Road, and the entrance is between Alexander Close and Boulter Drive.

Some people have already moved into Braggs Lane. The Braggs cycle shop at 2 High Street is well remembered (now The Dogs Spot).

Other people are living in Gowering Way (without an s).

Gowerings the car dealership was at 111 Ock Street (now Albert Lodge retirement homes).

P.S. Chris has sent this picture to show an alternative spelling

The work on cutting the corner at the Peachcroft Roundabout is planned to run from 31 Jul 2023 – 17 Aug 2024 and so is probably half way there. It should allow traffic from the Dunmore Road to cut the corner going up Lodge Hill. So far the work has affected footpaths more than carriageways. This corner is the boundary of the Abbey Fields development.

Despite interest rate rises, there has not been much slowdown in the house building on the Abbey Fields development. This is the view from the footpath from Sunningwell, where it crosses the Abbey Fields development. Abingdon must be a very popular place to live.

In the news today was the story that Barratt are to buy rival Redrow for £2.5bn.

A lot of the new homes in Abbey Fields have a notice from Barratt Homes saying ‘Please be courteous. This house is occupied.’

A cycle way runs from the Abbey Fields development through Tilsley Park (sports ground run by Abingdon School) and then comes to a stop just before the Kings Gate development.

Resourceful walkers have made their own short cut a short way from the main route.

A new road name that has appeared on the Kings Gate estate is Dyson Mews. It is not named after Sir James Dyson, knighted for his vacuum cleaner and hand drier innovations, and not even named after Star Wars R2D2 creator Tony Dyson who did live in Abingdon. It is named after Tony’s mum Ada Dyson who was Mayor of Abingdon. According to the obituary of Ada on the Abingdon and District Twin Towns Society website (July 2008), Ada had bright red hair and a determined northern character and was a formidable fighter.