Monthly Archives: February 2014

Floods, Winds, and Now Locusts

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65 Oxford Road was surrounded by shrubs and trees when the Google Street View camera came through Abingdon.

Here is 65 Oxford Road as it looks today. Not a blade of grass remains.

Permission to demolish the original house and replace it with two detached houses was obtained subject to certain conditions, including the protection of trees.

A report, previous to this planning application, from August 2009, says that there were 11 trees (2 of high quality, 3 of medium quality, 5 of lower quality, and 1 of inferior quality).

Thanks to Pat for 2 of the pictures and Google for the other.

Flood Warning Downgraded to Flood Alert on The Thames in Abingdon

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The flood waters are taking a long time to go down this time round – even after two or three drier days.

Oxfordshire County Council tweeted this afternoon “Many Oxon rivers are peaking/beginning to fall but they’re still very high compared to normal. Please take care on towpaths.”

The heron opposite St Helen’s Wharf is on the towpath.

This evening the flood warning was lifted on the River Thames in Abingdon. It has been downgraded to a flood alert.

More signs of storm damage

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I see from the comments that part of a tree caused damage to the side area of The Boundary House pub. By this morning they had chopped up the wood and waterproofed the roof and are presumably open again.

A little further round Appleford Drive the trunk of a tree in Peachcroft Park has split in two.

In that same area the To Let sign, for the shop that was Blockbuster, at the Peachcroft Shops has been sent crashing.

Blockbuster pulled the shutters down for the final time in November. The UK company went into administration earlier in 2013, but failed to find a buyer.

Blockbuster took over the Ritz Video chain, including the Peachcroft shop, in the 1990s.

First the floods, and now the winds.

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There was a windy night last night and it brought down quite a few trees in and around Abingdon.

Conduit House narrowly escaped being damaged by a large pine tree falling in Albert Park.

Two big trees have come down near the Abbey Meadow Water Park.

The earth round their roots had been softened after being under Thames flood water for so long.

There are also trees falling down by the River Ock – near the bottom of Healey Close.

One willow is across the river – any more heavy rain and it would be a flood risk.

There were also walls and fences down round properties. So a dramatic night – first the floods, and now the winds.