The County Hall in Abingdon looks magnificent from whatever angle you view it.
The hall was built between 1678 and 1683 and amazes people travelling through Abingdon.
Recent architecture looks insubstantial alongside.
The Abingdon Market Place viewed through its arches has seen many changes.
Like Stonehenge the County Hall has stood the test of time.
Spot on, backstreeter.
The building is an absolute asset to the town and the tragedy is that it no longer looks out on the old Corn Exchange and Queens Hotel. It’s as though the town has purposefully vandalized itself and destroyed the ‘patina’ which should now be displaying its heritage.
Instead we have Bury Street, the Torremolinos Wings to The Old Goal and the Telephone Exchange. For goodness sake … the Corn Exchange was demolished and yet there were ructions to find a use for the truly terrible Abbey Hall. What next … Abbey House and The Upper Reaches are allowed to rot and then be demolished by a disinterneted council and fall into the hands of a fly-by-night developer? And, btw, has The Vale yet received full payment for The Old Goal site?
Here’s a good article from The Herald:
https://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/16286820.heralding-the-past-the-story-of-abingdons-old-corn-exchange/
Sadly there is nothing we can do about the damage done in the past, but we must keep trying to save what we have got. There is an opportunity right now as the Vale District Council are inviting comments on their priorities for the next 4 years – go to https://survey.southandvale.gov.uk/s/Valecorporateplanfeedback/?m=12345abcde and fill in the questionnaire. You can write in things like Old Abbey House and the Upper Reaches – or taking advantage of government initiatives to revitalise town centres, or enforcing proper planning controls, or whatever you regard as important.
(Re the Old Gaol, last time I checked, Cranbourne were still making the payments under the agreement, the information should be there on the Vale website.)