The Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair is here for a three day run, Friday to Sunday. There are about 50 stalls, all of them arts and crafts, and it is run by the Friends of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust.
All profits are used for the upkeep of the Abbey Buildings.
Some stalls were pure Abingdon – like this one with prints and paintings and tea towels.
A great setting. The event is popular with stall holders as it is pure art and craft and not the retail or tat stalls you get at other events.
For a few years up to 2016 this event was run by a commercial company, now defunct. The one thing I do miss from those days is the larger food marquee where you could try samples, and then buy sausages, cheese, pies, and alcohols. Before that company, the event was built up and run by Mrs Pauline Burren, on behalf of the Friends of Abingdon, from the 1980s.
In the grounds and undercroft were craft demonstrations including a potter and blacksmith. We also saw a sock being made inside a vintage Griswold circular sock machine – a museum piece that made socks much faster than knitting needles.
