Recognising the value of benches for walkers, and walking as part of a healthy lifestyle, Healthy Abingdon, have created an interactive map showing all the benches in Abingdon. The map is available on the Healthy Abingdon website under benches (https://healthyabingdon.org.uk/benches.htm). With a few clicks, people can locate the nearest bench, allowing them to find a place to rest or plot a route.
The map also acts as a record of the distribution of benches across Abingdon, which is far from uniform. Parks, riverbanks, and the town centre are well-endowed with benches. The new Abbey Fields development (above) also has fifteen benches along its walkways as well as several picnic tables.
Amongst the benches, a few stand out. Some benches are dedicated to people, such as the one for Audrey Hasnip outside the Guildhall unveiled in April 2021. Audrey was the Mayor of Abingdon from 1999-2000, and a long-standing geography teacher at John Mason School as well as doing various other voluntary roles such as singing in St Helen’s choir.
The longest seat (I’m not sure it is bench) is round a tree near the charter. It could hold around 48 people simultaneously.
I would have been far more impressed if the map was to aid those with a disability to plan their routes, rather than promoting it as part of a healthy lifestyle for walkers! When are our needs going to be given priority rather than banging on about walking for a healthy lifestyle?
Surely those with a disability, or their carers, can use the map to plan a route for themselves Carol?
As the Healthy Abingdon site says next to the map: “Walking is a good way of keeping healthy but, if for whatever reason you cannot walk too far without a rest, you need to know whether there is a bench nearby. You can explore the interactive map below to find benches anywhere in Abingdon.”
So as Steve says, this can be used to plan healthy walks or as an aid for the disabled/infirm.
Yes indeed Steve and Chris, my point was rather that the emphasis always tends to be on those who are able to walk for health than those who can’t. Sorry to be over sensitive but when you are like me and so many places are still inaccessible you get a tad fed up with it….thanks for your comments.
Dear God……please tell that taxpayers money was not used for a bench survey. If so then we really have gone off the deep end
Colin: Healthy Abingdon is a charity that works with local community groups. Knowing where all the benches are will help everyone but particularly disabled, infirm and elderly people.
They have received funding from various government bodies including ones who put the benches there and are responsible for their maintenance (and therefore know where the benches are) – nothing like paying for the same job twice!
I think we should do a toilet survey next or maybe a flower bed one….
A website with a different emphasis, on mapping all the benches with dedications, can be found here
https://openbenches.org/
Various of Abingdon’s benches can be found
There are two missing in the grounds of Abbey house gardens. Abbey gardens is for use of the public and they still haven’t been replaced, along with the other benches facing the pond further down and also a further bench recently removed facing the rye farm field.
Response from the Parks team leader back in February 2024
Apologies for the lack of response to your previous emails, we have been carrying out our annual inventory of benches across both districts over the last few months and I wanted to see that before commenting.
The missing bench in the Abbey Meadow was removed when a tree limb fell on it, but speaking to our maintenance team it may be salvageable, so we’ll look to put it back in shortly. The two missing ones in the Abbey Gardens were vandalised so new benches will be bought to replace them. As our inventory lists over 200 benches, we are not able to replace or repair them all at once but as the two site mentioned are high use areas these will be priority for the coming year.
For information, there are 16 other benches in Abbey Gardens and 12 others in the meadow that are available for the public to use.
I don’t think you were being over sensitive Carol, you were making a point from your perspective. I hope that you will find the interactive bench map helpful.