We are back in Abingdon after a short time away and find the Abingdon weir walkway has been temporarily closed for safety reasons following an engineering inspection.
The Environment Agency is investigating corrosion found in the steelwork supporting the pedestrian bridge. The walkway has been shut while the full extent of the damage is assessed and any necessary repairs are planned.
A temporary footpath closure notice has been issued by Oxfordshire County Council and is expected to last from 22 April 2025 until 12 May 2025. The footpath diversion is over Abingdon Bridge to Abingdon Lock.
Does the three weeks until the 12 May represent the realistic fix time or is it simply the initial closure period permitted (without notice) following inspection?
Temple Bridge, also part of the Thames Path, upstream of Marlow has been closed since May 2023.
Hopefully we won’t be reading about the second anniversary of this closure in 2027…
Henley and Benson have been closed for three years and counting for “temporary” repairs.
This is such an important crossing for the people who use it. It allows for excellent circular routes for dog walkers and runners and its vital for the people living on the river just upstream. An extended closure cannot be allowed to set in. We have an election coming up, what are the candidates going to do about this?
As above, amongst other things, a good walk ruined.
Surely it’s a good thing for the footbridge to be inspected, and fixed, if there’s a problem. I wouldn’t want to be walking on it if there were to be a danger of it collapsing.
The wooden bridge at the top of Ock Valley walk needs inspecting – it wobbles as you walk over it and the bodged repairs seem to be coming loose again. I wonder who will get in locally to sort these issues out – along with replacement of park benches in the Abbey meadows and Abbey gardens.
Still the new street finger posts look nice and fancy
if there’s rust what else can be done?
and if it cost half a million to replace is it worth it for a nice walk?
I expect the footbridge would be there anyway as a means or routine inspection and management of the weir. Public use is a happy by-product.
Does anyone have history of the existence of a public crossing there before the weir and lock were installed to make the upper Thames navigable ?
Best get to work right now while it’s not raining and the river is lower. We crossed the weir just a few weeks ago and I did have a passing thought that it’s looking quite corroded underneath.
I agree with comments above that the crossing is considered important for the people of Abingdon, and iconic. I’d say that the path from the Abbey Meadows down over the weir and back around is the nicest walk in town, (I have memories of standing on the walkway watching the water roar down as a small child many years ago – it was mesmerising and I loved to watch it!) so I think it is important that it’s fixed, and sooner rather than later.
Even if it has to be closed for a year to replace corroded metalworks and concrete reinforcement – I hope it won’t be closed that long but might as well do a decent job of it so it’s open and safe for many years to come.
Shame if its closed for a while.
Is it possible to walk by Swift Ditch towards Culham make a new circular? Or something else similar?
I think many years ago (1970’s?) the route across the weir used to be closed/locked after certain hours at night.
If it’s dry weather there’s a long circular route if you follow the riverbank from the lock to the railway line then follow the railway line to the end of Thame Lane then back along there to Culham past the European School (or whatever that’s called now) then you can either follow the A415 back to Abingdon or pick up the Thames path at Culham Lock and do the same. Quite some distance though.
Public rights of way need better protection. The Environment Agency has closed paths across the river at Benson and Henley for over three years on similar “awaiting repair” grounds.
Benson the diversion route is 4.5 miles or about 90 minutes walking… no way anyone would accept a 90 minute diversion for cars for three years
That’s it then for at least another 5 years. I kid you not – we had a similar problem with H&S regarding a river pathway in Guildford (near where I used to live) and it’s only just being resolved over 5 years later. The EA is skint and unless a local benefactor steps forward this amenity will be lost for years to com