At Abingdon Lock a number of changes were made during the winter before last. The back drainage area was cleared and landscaped,
and a carved crocodile appeared in the ditch.
There have been further developments last winter. The lock island is beginning to look like a wooden menagerie.
A Pooh like bear has appeared next to the Abingdon Lock sign.
Not just wooden animals, but also houses for real animals have appeared.
May be able to shed some light on this, the wood sculptors are made by the owner of one of the moored up narrow boats, he’s donating them to a small group called the friends of Abingdon lock which is headed by Richard the lock keeper, the aim of the group is to raise enough money to buy a defibrillator to be placed at the lock ( I can tell you going through a lock in a boat can be quite stressful) the small sculpts sell for £10 each so do go and buy one, apart from being a fun addition to your garden you will be supporting a very good cause.
The ducks look very lifelike!
Richard and his assistant Frank have done an excellent job and are always very welcoming to both boaters and spectators alike. Can you open up the ice cream sales again in the summer please?
There are actually 6 volunteers who work with Richard at the lock and they have all worked hard to make the lock so attractive. The environment agency will not allow ice cream sales unfortunately
I am the abingdon lock keeper, thank you for the kind comments from everyone. Firstly can I agree with Liz’s comment; we have a team of volunteers who all work hard here at the lock, not just Frank and myself, and I’m grateful for all their help and assistance. I would just like to take the opportunity to say that I am not head of the group mentioned in the comments. I completely support their fundraising efforts but they are an entirely separate group. Many thanks, hope to see everyone out enjoying the river soon.
you just wooden believe the things that go on in Abingdon….
Liz – do it anyway. No one else seems to play by the rules…
Roger the previous lock keeper used to sell ice cream and at Sonnimg and Mapledurham locks they have cafes so how come the EA allow that?
Don’t talk to me about the EA, it costs me £750 a year to licence and insure my boat on the Thames, yet either side of me are boats that are neither licenced nor insured, what’s more they have no running water or toilet facilities, they pee & poo in buckets then throw it over the side, on a trip up to Oxford last week we counted no less than 54 unlicensed, unworthy boats that the EA and various councils do absolutely nothing about !
Richard and his team are indeed doing a wonderful job at Abingdon Lock. It’s always a pleasure to walk over the Weir to see them and check out the new developments. The new trees to replace those destroyed by Abingdon Hydro also seem to be doing well and one of their bore holes has also been filled in.