Michael sent me a picture of the Bridge Street Junction where the Upper Reaches and Old Gaol meet. The lights are currently out of order, so take care when you cross.
Andy sent pictures showing how contractors have made a thorough job boarding up the Upper Reaches Hotel:- all 31-ensuite rooms, the restaurant, and even the tiny windows over the waterwheel.
The carpark is empty, so it looks like the rumors about the Upper Reaches closing were correct.
Upper Reaches closed? That’s sad, such a lovely setting. Often had tea in their tranquil gardens. Oh please don’t let this become another developers dream of houses 🙁
We were only at the Upper Reaches a couple of weeks ago. It has been a little bit ‘tired’ for a while, but we still had a good meal and it is such an excellent location. I think it is going to be housing which is a shame when Abingdon is crying out for good hotel rooms 🙁
It’s a great shame to see it all boarded up, I walked past earlier and the amount of wood visible underlines how big and how much glass area the place had. I hope someone takes it on quickly, I can’t bear to think of Abingdon without The Upper Reaches and the whole place turned into ‘Luxury Apartamentos’ like across the road.
A friend was visiting from Germany and we went there for an evening meal. The food was excellent, but I had to ask the somewhat disinterest staff to turn on the flood lights for the waterwheel. She was surprise that we had to ask, as it is the most important feature in the dining room!
I heard from a resident of Thames St that there are quite advanced plans for riverside flats on the carp park which may explain a lot…
Flats on the car park would obscure the view of Thames Street from the river and possibly of the Abbey buildings. This would be a disaster. OK housing in the hotel just about. Perhaps the car park could be public gardens to maintain the feel of the area. Any new build in this area would be out of character. I do hope the councils protect our heritage.
SAD
Considering that plans for redevelopment usually get huge coverage (and generate strong opinions) this seems to have crept up quite unexpectedly. No coverage in the papers, no rumours around town and no details of any plans published. Considering how much more of an impact on the town this would have than (say) the Boulter Drive development this is almost unbelievable.
I mean, there is *nothing* about this anywhere online. The lead story on the Herald website is someone stealing six bottles of wine!
Page 16 Oxford mail, has small feature Double Blow as hotel and Co-op ‘quit town’. Comments about Bury Street and the empty units. How unexpected it all was.
No applications for conversion of the Upper Reaches into flats or for a development of new flats on the car park are registered on the Vale planning applications website. Of course, this does not mean that no such plans exist, but if they do they are not so far advanced as to be a done deal. Therefore there will be an opportunity to make our views known on any future plans.
It would be helpful if the owners of the Upper Reaches had the courtesy to give some information as to what their plans are for this important site. We do not want a repeat of the Nag’s Head saga, with visitors to Abingdon being greeted by a boarded-up building slowly mouldering into decay.
So far as I know the building is owned by the leaseholder but the district council still owns the land which should give some control, and probably means it can take action if necessary. There may be some developments from the leaseholder because why would you pay rent on a building that is boarded up but I don’t understand how business works sometimes.
I think the Vale owns the Upper Reaches
A quick view of the VOWH Conservation Area map shows that the Upper Reaches and its adjoining car park are part of the town conservation area. Whatever that means !
So Cranbourne MIGHT get gifted it after all then? That will be nice for them?
Apologies to the Herald – can see they are now covering the story in some detail. Even *they* say that the owners cannot be contacted. Who *were* the owners anyway?
On Tuesday night (BBC News) a spokesperson for VOWH said how sad it was that they had to build on greenfield sites and then defended the decision to do so.
Like those old-fashioned schoolmasters who, when administering the cane, would say: This hurts me more than it does you, boy.
Not so sad, then, and not so painful that other possibilities might be actively and energetically pursued.
Sorry, when I posted my , now suprerflouos, comment 12, Steve’s comment , 11, wasn’t there.
Superfluous
Abingdon is dying what are the council doing? Answer not a dam thing. Why can’t this once pretty town get out of this mess ?
Word on the street is the leaseholder has had talks with abingdons favourite builder who is planning to put old gaol mk 2 on the car park there (earlier thread on here says 65 Oxford rd is up for sale, this owned by the same builder, is he raising funds to developers the car park site?) it’s all very well sandy Lovett getting his picture in all the press stating how concerned he is about the U .R and Co – op closing, he’s a district councilor, he of all should know what’s happening !
Yes, I am not sure that Mr Lovett listens at most committee meetings. For someone who is the leader of the Town Council, a district Councillor, a member of the finance committee etc etc, he never seems to be actually aware of anything that is going on.
Perhaps we should pretend we can have a say about it?
Once planning is submitted you could object, we all could, if well publicised everyone could.
If Cranboune are handed it on a platter the whole thing will stink of dodgy dealings if I was close to the project I’d be very mindful of this.
…it won’t matter if you object. That’s the problem.
We’d better watch out then, if you see bulldozers converging on Abingdon the whole place could be flattened wiped off the map and a new town called Cranbourne-on-Thames put in its place.
The owners of Cranbourne must surely read this blog or know people that do.
We never read anything from them. They must know about the bad feelings regarding the gaol and their other ventures.
If it was me I’d want people to know my side of the story.
Equally if you are making LOTS of money who cares what everyone thinks.
Cranbourne on Thames may not be as far retched as it sounds ? They have the old gaol complex that they seem to have driven a coach and horses through all their planning conditions, ditto 65 Oxford rd ( might not be on the Thames but they stuck two fingers up to all the pre build conditions) they’ve “acquired” the old red line boat house on Wilsham rd and now it would seem they’re well on their way to “acquiring” another piece of abingdons silver? And sandy Lovett, leader of the council knows nothing ! Does he take us for as bigger fool as he is !
The Upper Reaches is part of a small hotel group, Caparo Hotels, which is part of the much, much larger Carparo Steel group which owns a range of companies.
How apt! The way Abingdon’s assets are just given away, they seem to go for a steel !
I was in Dorset the other week and passed through Wareham from south to north and was quite bemused by its similarity to Abingdon when approaching from Culham. The area that we call the Upper Reaches, they call the Quay; it has parking and riverside access as well as a lovely pub/restaurant, another pub, an ice cream parlour with wifi and the best public toilets we have ever visited!
Take a look here http://bit.ly/1KIOrFn
If the Upper Reaches and Thames Street could be open to the public and used in this way that would be great.
…is Wareham run by The Veil too? If not….I imagine that that is where the distinction might lay.
It’s great to hear how other places are doing so well. How were their flowers?
daniel – i seem to remember you committed to set up a sunday market and a footbridge in previous posts – haven’t heard much for a while – how are you getting on?
Next up Abbey House and Gardens…
Watch this space.
Enjoy the flowers while you can.
Iain, first and foremost, being a man….I would never, ever commit to anything. But you are right, it is something I’d aspire towards (a market and a bridge….not commitment).
I looked at a couple of avenues for funding for the footbridge; without any cost to the tax payer….but got called a communist(!?!?) so, as I’m a child of the 80’s, I gave up on that one for now.
I have identified a market. I now just need to establish if the people of Abingdon want it. The feedback so far is rather mixed.
It does seem that everything in Abingdon is pretty sweet at the moment though, so perhaps I’ll just count our blessings.
These things are never as easy as they appear but good on you for trying. I looked at sunday markets a while back too and the demand seemed to be there for an antiques/vintage market but i phoned round lots of local operators who were all tied up in other towns with existing markets. We asked the markets officer at the time to look into it further but hit the same issue. If you find a willing operator of that type let me know and i will happily support you in any logistical hurdles.
Here’s a thought, a few months ago sandy Lovett said on here that several potential buyers were looking at the old Abbey house buildings, one of which was a hotel chain, were the vale trying to off load that site to the operators of the upper reaches which would then leave the u, r open for development by our favourite building company? Come clean Mr Lovett please
some people just love inventing conspiracy theories out of thin air.
if the owners of the hotel do eventually decide to sell it on it will not be part of some nefarious plan by councillors.
Hey Rudi, just driven by Tillsey Park which is now proudly displaying Abingdon School signage, did you know the Vale, with no public consultation gave, yes gave it to them! Then I parked by the old gaol, you know the place, our council has still refused to say what the final figure they got for it but it’s pretty common knowledge it was a drop in the ocean compared to what it’s worth (. Or what they were offered ) then I drove past 66 Oxford rd, that’s the building site acquired by councils favourite builders who broke every pre planning condition and got away with it, a bit further down the road is/ was the site the same builders were to build a number of social houses as part of their old gaol commitment , but planning was refused so they got out of building them ! ! Or course there’s no inside dealing, that’s why the few
Members of the public that were picked to view the gaol contract after much protest had to sign a gagging order !
Rudi…I’m all for a good conspiracy theory…but failing that, a good appreciation of the past can be a reasonable indicator of the what is yet to come.
Conspiracys may be scary and sometimes silly. The truth about Abingdon is terrifying…
Here here rudi
Facts..not conspiracies. Oh wait…we aren’t allowed to know any facts where the Old Gaol is concerned…nor Tilsley park. A cllr did promise to make a press release on both…showing just how the taxpayer is benefitting…but I’ve seen nothing yet? Has anyone else? So just HOW MUCH has been paid for the Old Gaol?!
Mercifully this post will drop of the front page shortly; then we can get back to the fluffy stuff.
How many of you who are posting here about the Upper Reaches have written to the District Councillors for Abbey Northcourt Ward to ask for information? If their mailboxes fill up with questions they will know how strongly people feel and we may actually get a response. And if you don’t, then you can escalate it to the Leader of the Vale – or to the Planning Dept.
Interestingly, the Upper Reaches was owned by Carparo Group (the Steel company) who is on the verge of bankruptcy