Paul has sent me pictures of two boundary stones recently. Here’s what we know. It’s a puzzle.

The first stone is on the Drayton Road, wedged between a wall and a bush, almost hidden behind a streetlight. The inscription faces a brick wall just a few inches away, and many of the letters have worn away with time.
The text appears to read something like:

?0 YARDS FROM
THE BRIDGE
?LONG THE???
HENCE IN ?
??RAIGHT ???
?? JUNCTION OF
?HE OCK RIVER
WITH THE LARK
??LL STREAM

With a bit of guesswork, it may originally have read:

“?0 YARDS FROM
THE BRIDGE
ALONG THE [PATH?]
HENCE IN A
STRAIGHT LINE
TO THE JUNCTION OF
THE OCK RIVER
WITH THE LARK
HILL STREAM”

This suggests a boundary line to the bridge on Drayton Road and then to a place where the River Ock meets the Lark Mill Stream. 
The second stone is on the Faringdon Road, directly opposite the entrance to Larkmead School. Paul cleared back some of the vegetation to reveal it properly. This one appears to have a carved cross at the top — likely the Abingdon Borough cross — and below that, some worn letters. One line may read MEN, possibly part of the word PARLIAMENTARY, and beneath that UNDA, which might be part of the word BOUNDARY.

Both stones appear to mark out old administrative or land boundaries.

Found Drowned Near the Rookery
A shadow was cast over the town on Thursday when four-year-old Esther Harper, of 22 The Abbey, drowned near the Rookery. She had gone out to play in the afternoon and did not return. Her brother Edward, aged 13, on arriving home from school, went in search and found her body floating by the riverbank. Despite efforts by passers-by and the police to revive her, life was declared extinct by Dr H. S. Challenor. At Friday’s inquest, the jury returned a verdict of “Found Drowned.”

Motor Fatality at Lodge Hill
An inquest was also held for Miss Diana Sybil Seal, a 21-year-old Oxford dancer, who died when a car skidded at Lodge Hill. The driver, an undergraduate from Christ Church, was cleared of blame. Evidence suggested that a Ford van coming the other way, poor visibility due to an elm tree, and a burst tyre led to the skid. The car toppled over and back and all the cars passengers except the driver were thrown from the car. The deceased suffered a severe head injury. A fellow passenger confirmed the car was going no faster than 25 miles per hour and that the driver was not intoxicated. They had drunk a bottle of wine between them in Abingdon. The elm tree has since been removed to improve safety at the brow of the hill. Sympathy was send to the family of the deceased.

Mr Joe James Passes Away
Mr Joe James, one of the oldest bricklayers in the town, of 44 West St Helen Street, passed away on Tuesday aged 76. A lifelong Abingdonian, he married at St Helen’s Church in 1870 and had been a member of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers for three decades. He was laid to rest on Thursday at the Cemetery.

Concerns Over Refuse Collection
A letter sent to the Herald signed by about thirty local ratepayers protested recent changes to refuse collection. The signatories warned that with already poor housing conditions, the reduction in collection frequency would expose families — especially those with young children — to further health risks. They urged a return to at least twice-weekly removal, especially in the heat.

Court Fines and Local Offences
At the Borough Court, Margaret Couldrey of Ock House and Charles J. Douglas of Oxford Road were each fined 5 shillings for keeping a dog without a licence. Roy Gilbert of Bath Street was fined £1 for failing to produce his motor licence when summoned.

A Day Out for the Infants School
Around 106 children from the Church of England Infants School, led by Miss Ingram and her staff, enjoyed an outing to Sheepstead House. They played games and were served tea on the lawn. Rain cut the afternoon short, but the children returned home tired and content.

Garden Party at Northcourt House
Mr and Mrs Tatham hosted seventy residents from the Institution at a garden party in the grounds of Northcourt House. Games were played, prizes awarded, and tea served on the lawn. In response to their hospitality, the guests gave three hearty cheers on the proposals of the Master of the Institution.

Bathing Place Open to Women
In light of the hot weather, the Borough Highways Committee has approved opening the bathing place to women on Sunday mornings from 9:45 to noon.

Founder’s Day at Roysse’s School
Today, Roysse’s School marked Founder’s Day with a service at St Helen’s Church and prize-giving at the Corn Exchange. Yesterday’s regatta on the Wilsham Reach preceded tomorrow’s cricket match between the School and the Old Abingdonians.

Fascists Hold Garden Fête
A garden fête organised by the British Fascists (North Berks area) took place at Square House, lent by Mr T. Skurray. There were side-shows, folk dancing, music by Rowlinson’s Band, and in the evening dancing on the lawn. The President, Brigadier R.D.B. Blakeney, addressed the gathering, claiming the movement was misunderstood and stood for law, order, and anti-communism. He defended the group’s adoption of a “foreign name,” likening it to enjoying macaroni or riding in a charabanc.

Service at the United Free Church
At the United Free Church, Pastor E. Newell from Longworth Mission preached from the words: “Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not.” He reminded the congregation that true greatness lies not in self-seeking but in service, as shown by their Master.

Local Platoon Prepares for Camp
The local platoon of the 4th Royal Berkshire Regiment will depart for camp in Weymouth on Sunday, August 2nd. A strong turnout of all ranks is urged for next week’s parades in preparation for a marching demonstration, building on the platoon’s fine reputation.

Thanks to the North Berks Herald microfilm in the library and the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette from the British Newspaper Archive. The picture of the fireman is from the Oxford Journal. The adverts are from the North Berks Herald and the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette.

A new exhibition at Abingdon Museum called ‘Romans, Britons & Abingdon – After the Oppidum (AD 43 to AD 410)’ takes us back to Roman Britain. Following on from last year’s Iron Age display, this year’s focus is on how life changed when the Roman Empire arrived in our part of the world, but also includes some Iron Age displays. The exhibition runs until September 28th 2025.

The exhibition includes display boards exploring:
* Food and cookery,
* Religion,
* Roads and travel,
* Burial customs,
* Pottery, clothing, and jewellery
* What a typical Roman town looked like,
* Maps and place names in Roman Britain.

One board tells how places like Calleva (modern-day Silchester) began as an Iron Age settlements and were transformed into full Roman towns. Something similar might have happened in Abingdon. Plenty of Roman artefacts have been found here — but no sign (yet) of large buildings in the current town centre. However, there were Roman villas at Barton Court and villas and a temple near Marcham.

Abingdon was well-placed in Roman times. It stood near key Roman roads linking Dorchester-on-Thames, Alchester, and Silchester — all important Roman towns. The River Thames could also have played an important role.

There’s also a short film about an Iron Age to Roman excavation at Little Wittenham in 2025, where a large barn has been found.

The exhibition includes a few objects, but Abingdon Museum already has a permanent Roman display which offers more objects, including:
* a wooden plough,
* two hobnail leather shoes, including one from a child,
* many pots and a large bowl for grinding cooking ingredients,
* a flask for perfume
* broaches and tools
* bits of mosaic flooring (tesserae) and tiles from Barton Court.

These small objects help us imagine the everyday lives of people who lived here nearly two millennia ago. For a closer look, the museum’s own blog has a piece called A Day in the Life of a Roman in Abingdon.

Admission is free, and the museum is run by Abingdon Town Council.

The wooden monk that once stood on the Marcham Road roundabout has fallen again. Carved from a single tree trunk, he was a reminder of Abingdon’s Abbey, greeting drivers as they arrived from the A34.

But time and weather have taken their toll. The base has rotted from within, splitting apart and throwing the monk to the ground. Another crack runs through his head – as if suffering double vision.

Over the years, the monk had become a local character. Occasionally dressed up in costumes, he brought smiles and scandal to this prominent Marcham Road Roundabout.

Originally installed by Abingdon Town Council during a Britain in Bloom campaign and sponsored by Abbey Press, the figure was cared for — until Abbey Press closed and no new sponsor came forward. He first fell a couple of years ago and after a few months was propped back up. But now the rot has spread too far.

I was recently in Cirencester and saw their own monk and abbot, standing in their Abbey Grounds. Unlike our monk, they stand on a stone base, protected from the soil. They were created by an artist as part of the Abbey 900 Legacy Project and dedicated in September 2021.

Our Marcham Road monk may have fallen, but the idea behind him still stands: a reminder of Abingdon’s heritage. Perhaps it’s time to ask — what should decorate the roundabout now? It’s the first roundabout many visitors see on the way into town. Although many visitors don’t get further than that roundabout – with its out-of-town hotels, trading estate, business park, petrol stations and supermarkets.