Long Alley Almshouses Hall Stained Glass Window

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Marion Evans, the Residents’ Governor, invites you to view the newly restored stained glass window in the Hall on Saturday 14th September during Abingdon’s Heritage Weekend.

Long Alley almshouses date from the 15th century and are Grade 1 listed. They form part of the beautiful churchyard group around St Helen’s Church.

The window dates back to 1605, though the glass is more recent. The shields depicted are from historic benefactors to the charity. The first window is for King Edward VI who founded & incorporated the Hospital of Christ in Abingdon 1553. The second window is for Sir John Mason, the first Master, appointed in 1553 – a liberal patron of the Hospital.

A hospital was a place of hospitality, not just for treating illness, but covered almshouses and hostels.

According to the article Medieval Hospitals by Margaret Markham, St. Helen’s Hospital (Long Alley Almshouses) was founded in association with the Guild of the Holy Cross in 1442 for the support of 7 poor men and 6 women. The Guild and its hospital was dissolved in 1548, but re-founded as Christ’s Hospital 5 years later.

Electric Buses in Abingdon

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Since January 2024, the Oxford Bus Company has introduced a fleet of 104 electric buses. These buses are partially funded through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, a grant won by Oxfordshire County Council.

In Abingdon, the new electric buses can mostly be seen on the shorter 35 route between Oxford and Abingdon via Radley. Compared to older diesel models, electric buses are quieter, lack exhaust fumes, and have reduced carbon emissions.

The StreetDeck Electroliner double-decker buses are made in Northern Ireland. They are powered by batteries that give a range of up to 200 miles, with a charge time of 2.5 hours.

Fun Flowers and Fitness – This Coming Saturday in Abingdon

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With summer holidays behind us, Abingdon comes alive with a weekend of events. There is the annual Fun & Music in the Park organised by Abingdon Town Council.

The Abingdon Horticultural Society have their Autumn Show – a chance to admire displays of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and crafts.

The Abingdon Healthfest 2024 is a free event (Saturday, 7th September, 10 AM – 2 PM, Abingdon Market Place). It offers a chance to connect with nineteen local organizations promoting health and well-being. See https://healthyabingdon.org.uk/healthfest2024.htm.

Mapping Abingdon’s Benches

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Recognising the value of benches for walkers, and walking as part of a healthy lifestyle, Healthy Abingdon, have created an interactive map showing all the benches in Abingdon. The map is available on the Healthy Abingdon website under benches (https://healthyabingdon.org.uk/benches.htm). With a few clicks, people can locate the nearest bench, allowing them to find a place to rest or plot a route.

The map also acts as a record of the distribution of benches across Abingdon, which is far from uniform. Parks, riverbanks, and the town centre are well-endowed with benches. The new Abbey Fields development (above) also has fifteen benches along its walkways as well as several picnic tables.

Amongst the benches, a few stand out. Some benches are dedicated to people, such as the one for Audrey Hasnip outside the Guildhall unveiled in April 2021. Audrey was the Mayor of Abingdon from 1999-2000, and a long-standing geography teacher at John Mason School as well as doing various other voluntary roles such as singing in St Helen’s choir.

The longest seat (I’m not sure it is bench) is round a tree near the charter. It could hold around 48 people simultaneously.