Category Archives: heritage

Abingdon Works Car Show – 2013

The Abingdon Works Car Show was on today in Rye Farm Meadow

The show celebrated the days when a lot of wonderful cars were made in Abingdon-on-Thames. The event was run in conjunction with the MG Car Club and Abingdon Rotary Club. But it was not all about MGs. Rileys are being admired in this picture.
Abingdon Works Car Show
The Abingdon works fire engine was there, as well as a modern day fire engine from Abingdon-on-Thames Fire Station.

This MG has a numberplate that almost says Abingdon Works.

Today was the day that Andy Murray won Wimbledon for the first time. The previous time a male player from these isles won the competition cars like these were on the road. The one in the foreground has done nearly 450,000 miles, although the clock does not show quite that much,as it starts again every 100,000 miles.
Abingdon Works Car Show
Such a hot day – a lot of the cars had their bonnets up, and on the other side of the River the open air pool and water feature were packed. The Rotary and all the MG Car Clubs made us proud of our Abingdon heritage.

Didcot A Power Station Final Day

22 Replies

Today (Friday) is likely to be the final day of power generation from the Didcot A coal fired Power Station. The picture of the cooling towers was taken at the weekend from the fields above the Tithe Farm estate in Abingdon. When we first moved to Abingdon we were warned that soot from Didcot would dirty our washing but can’t remember it ever being a problem.

Such cooling towers became common in the UK from the 1950s, and are rapidly disappearing from the landscape as one set after another are demolished.
Didcot A
There are also a couple of close up pictures on the Not Abingdon Blog.

How old are the timbers of the Remaining Abbey Buildings?

2 Replies

Old Abbey Timbers
Samples have been taken from the timbers of the Long Gallery and the Lower Hall of the remaining domestic buildings of Abingdon Abbey. Following permission from English Heritage the work was carried out by Dr Martin Bridge and Dr Dan Miles of the Oxford Dendrochronology Lab.

Thanks to Michael Harrison for this picture of one of a number of pencil like cores taken from the timbers. Together the samples will be analysed for tree rings which can represent a unique climatic pattern before the timbers were felled.

(Thanks to Elizabeth for the information. She says there may well be a competition to guess the age of the buildings.)

Open House at 26A East St Helen Street

12 Replies

In addition to opening on Saturday September 14th 2013 for Heritage Open Day
Open House
the Oxford Preservation Trust opened up the oldest house in East St Helen Street and one of the oldest in Abingdon, yesterday. The earliest owner of the house traced back so far is Sir James Braybrook, who died in 1509.

It was a chance to see the remarkable wall paintings, fire places, and ceilings. The current tenant is a history teacher who likes to try immerse herself in the past to see what the past might really have been like, so such a house is ideal.

From the top of the house the view to one side is much as it has been for a long time.

But the other side has changed a lot in the last two years as the Old Gaol development has progressed. The work on the new part looks complete now and new neighbours have moved in. Some of them even came round to look round the open house.

But there is still lots of work to be done converting the Old Gaol itself.