As part of the 80th Anniversary celebration, the Friends of Abingdon (civic society and buildings trust) invite you to explore the Abingdon Abbey Buildings and celebrate their achievements in safeguarding Abingdon’s heritage.

Join them on Thursday, June 27th from 2:30 to 5:30 pm at the Abingdon Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk.

* Explore the beauty of the historic Abbey Buildings and their gardens.
* Browse a special exhibition showcasing the journey of the Friends of Abingdon.
* Learn about the exciting plans to improve the accessibility of the Abbey Buildings.
* Watch a slideshow in the Unicorn Theatre.

Explore the buildings at your own pace or join a guided tour at 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm. Light refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the afternoon.

Founded in 1944, the Friends of Abingdon emerged from the need to protecting the town’s historical buildings, many of which faced neglect during wartime.

Their initial efforts focused on saving the derelict Abbey Cottages from demolition. Through negotiations, they secured not only the cottages but also surrounding land, including the Checker and Long Gallery. Over time, they acquired additional plots, and in their first decade carried out the initial renovation of the Checker and Long Gallery and creation of the Unicorn Theatre.

The Friends of Abingdon also functioned as a civic society that monitored planning applications and advocated the conservation of Abingdon’s heritage. They have also saved the Roysse Gateway, Carswell, 35 Ock Street, and more recently the historic staircase in the Guildhall. They were also instrumental in the creation of the murals in the underpass and by R&R. They run Heritage Open Day and Unit24 (community shop), and put on walks and produce walks leaflets.

In 2019 the original charity divided in two so that one charity could concentrate on the Abbey Buildings Project. The other charity could concentrate on civic matters.

For more information see Abingdonabbeybuildings.co.uk and Abingdoncivicsociety.org.uk/.

The Friends of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust has exciting plans for the enhancement of the Abbey Buildings which have unfortunately had to be put on hold due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Meanwhile they have to maintain the buildings and during the crisis they have not the usual income from lettings.

They would love to be able to do something a bit extra such as installing underfloor heating in the Checker or putting a dumb waiter up to the Long Gallery to make things easier and more comfortable for users then the Buildings are able to open again.

They get quite a few coins from the box on the gate, which is good, but ideally they need some larger donations via the donation page on their web site. (The rest of the web site will soon follow.)

The Friends of Abingdon recently divided into two charities:
* The Friends of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust concentrate on the Abbey Buildings
* The Friends of Abingdon Civic Society look at other town matters and are currently working hard to find a viable way for Old Abbey House to be kept for Abingdon people.