Stratton House in Bath Street is another of the large 18th Century houses build by the Tompkins family. They must have built well, given the number that survive (this one is from the 1720s).

It is the Office of Challenor & Son, Solicitors.

Looking through the book ‘The origins of the street names of Abingdon.’ by John McGowan, there are two streets in Abingdon that have been named after a well known Challenor & Son from the past.

There is Norman Avenue which runs between the Oxford Road and the Radley Road – a proper tree-lined Avenue – named after Norman Challenor, who used to own the land. It is pictured here.

And there is Challenor Close, near the marina, named after Norman’s father: Bromley Challenor. Bromley was Abingdon town clerk, Workhouse Clerk, solicitor, churchwarden, benefactor, author of ‘Selections from the Records of the Borough of Abingdon from AD 1555 to AD 1807′ etc etc.

And on the subject of street names, Stratton Way is named after Stratton House. Stratton Way is the central road that is to become two way at the end of September 2006…