Category Archives: walk

Christian Aid New Year walk 2016

Christian Aid New Year walk
The Church in Abingdon, Christian Aid New Year walk began this morning at 10 am from Abingdon Baptist Church/35 Ock Street. There were about 60 participants.
Christian Aid New Year walk
The route was to include the Sustrans Path towards Radley, Radley Lakes, Radley College and Lodge Hill with a refreshment stop at Radley Church Hall. The first 2 pictures shows participants leaving Abingdon Baptist Church.
Christian Aid New Year walk
The next 2 pictures shows participants passing Abingdon County Hall.
Christian Aid New Year walk
A guide and map of the walk was available at the start for £1. People started together but could make their own way round, at their own pace. Many participants had raised sponsorship towards the Christian Aid Christmas appeal, others just made a donation.

The Launch of The Vale Way

The Vale Way
The local Vale of White Horse Ramblers group has developed a new walking trail for the Vale of White Horse.

Named ‘The Vale Way’ it is a 27 mile walking trail that links the market towns of Faringdon, Wantage and Abingdon. Intended to give the walker a pleasant walk through Vale countryside it passes through many interesting villages and points of interest.
The Vale Way
The Mayor of Abingdon-on-Thames, Cllr Helen Pighills was at the launch event at 11.00am today (3rd July 2015) and cut the cake. This was followed by a walk to the ‘The Vale Way’ start at the millstream bridge in Abbey Meadows.
The Vale Way
The route starts in the west, in the village of Longcot, then Little Coxwell, Faringdon, the Folly, Frogmore Brook, Hatford, Stanford in the Vale, the Challows, Wilts and Berks canal, Wantage, Ardington, West Hendred, the Truck Fest site, Steventon, Milton and Abingdon. The Vale of White Horse can also be regarded as the valley of the river Ock and the route passes near the source of the Ock at Little Coxwell and crosses the confluence with the Thames at Abingdon-on-Thames.

The trail can be walked in various ways, the whole length, main town to main town or in shorter sections of 4-7 miles. Instructions on how to do the walk in stages can be found at www.ramblers-oxon.org.uk/thevaleway

A map of the entire route can be accessed at http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_3944028.html

The launch was part of the Ramblers 80th anniversary celebrations. Thanks to Peter for this information.

Abingdon Health Walks – First Steps Back

Thanks to Viv for this …
Arthur Preston Blue Plaque
Abingdon health walks have increased their choice of walks for the Summer. They are offering new FIRST STEPS WALKS. These last for 5-30 minutes and are provided for those people who want to gradually increase their fitness after health problems, an illness or an operation. Walking will be at your pace.

One of these regular walks is from Preston Road Community Centre.(Midget Close, Abingdon, OX14 5NR) on Thursday mornings at 10.30 am
Arthur Preston Blue Plaque
There are also Wellbeing Centre Walks (The Health and Wellbeing Centre, Audlett Drive, Abingdon OX14 3GD). These take place on the first Monday and the third Wednesday of the month at 10.30 am. You need to go to reception to sign in.

For further information try www.walkingforhealth.org.uk and find the Abingdon page. Alternatively contact vivboorman531(at)btinternet.com or phone 01235 531769.

Bank Holiday Monday – Open Air Pool, Walks, Towel Day, and Wear the Lilac Day

Bank Holiday Monday
The Abbey Meadows Open Air Pool opened this Bank Holiday Monday morning at 9am. Early swimmers were impressed by the new management. The water was clean, with no algae on the walls, and as warm as could be expected.
Bank Holiday Monday
Meanwhile on the Market Place, The Friends of Abingdon were signing up people for Bank Holiday Walks around Abingdon. The event was co-ordinated by Pat Bryden (out of shot) and very successful.
Bank Holiday Monday
The Wilts and Berks Canal Walk was led by Martin Buckland.
Bank Holiday Monday
The Around St Helens Walk was led by Ian Jardine, with help from Jackie Smith.
Bank Holiday Monday
The 1556 Abingdon Boundary Walk was led by Martin Smith, and Town Crier – Penny Clover.
Bank Holiday Monday
The Ock Valley Nature Walk, with the Abingdon Green Gym, was led by Eleanor Dangerfield
Bank Holiday Monday
The Radley Lakes Walk, with the Friends of Radley Lakes, was led by David Guyoncourt.
Bank Holiday Monday
The St Nicolas Church and the Lost Abbey Tour, with the Friends of Abingdon, was led by Philip Kenrick in the morning
Bank Holiday Monday
and by by Hester Hand in the afternoon.

It was also Towel Day – celebrated every year on 25th May as a tribute to the author Douglas Adams, who wrote Hitch Hikers Guide to The Galaxy. The guide says “A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have …“.

Tabitha Griffiths, preaching at Trinity yesterday, wore a towel, and a lilac sprig. The lilac was in commemoration of Terry Pratchett who recently died. Some of his fans wore the lilac on 25th May. Members of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, in the Pratchett novel Nightwatch, wore a sprig of lilac, for identification.

Tabitha’s real topic after removing the towel and lilac was Pentecost as described in Acts Chapter 2.