Peering into the hole, you can see how our fine County Hall is balanced on rubble foundations.
Also looking into the lift hole there appear to be areas that are now being more carefully dug out. It could be that the the archaeologists have been called in to investigate – possibly a Roman ditch.
Heritage Open Day is normally just the Saturday. But this year there are some open properties and activities on Sunday.
The new Abbey Heritage trail was unveiled today. Both the Mayor and Chairman of the Vale were at the opening, and it was followed by a guided walk round the new information boards.
The Abingdon Branch model railway was in the new part of the Guildhall.
East St helen Street was – as ever – the most popular part of the day with so many houses having displays of their history in windows, or open. This doublet, found in an attic, was on display.
Throughout the day there were two jesters entertaining the crowds,
as were the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers.
There were a number of different walks, but I finished off the day with a walk round the lost pubs of Abingdon. More to do on Sunday, where the big event is Fun in the Parks from 2-5 in the Abbey Gardens.
I used to regularly buy postcards from ebay, and kept a watch out for Abingdon postcards.
I revisited ebay with a search for “Abingdon Postcards” just now and found these four postcards …
Abingdon, Heraldic Series, Cities and Towns No.203 … Published by Frank Smith, Oxford … 1905
Date of 1910 written on the back. Not posted.
Message dated 1919.
Postmarked Wantage 1910.
The scenes on these postcards are still very easy to recognise after over 100 years. But go a little further out from the centre of Abingdon… and houses have replaced fields … and older dwellings like those at Northcourt have been surrounded by, and become part of, the greater town of Abingdon.
At 14:30 on Sunday 31 July there is a guided tour of Abingdon’s Mediaeval Abbey by the Friends of Abingdon. To book a place email: pb@paulineburren.co.uk or phone 01235 521873. It will include a walk round various grounds and buildings including the outline of the Abbey Church …
… charted using underground scanning techniques by the Lost Abbey Project.
Today there were a group of people learning Nordic walking round the outline.
And there was me, with my more erratic walking, filming the outline of the Abbey Church, and the Abbey Gateway…
Over Heritage Weekend there will be the launch of the Lost Abbey information trail. More of that soon.