The millstream leaves the River Thames close to the weir and passes under a humped wooden bridge.

The water level in the millstream remains remarkably steady, even when the Thames is in flood. On the far bank there is a tangle of mossy trees, beyond which the buildings on Audlett Drive can be seen, including Snakes and Ladders and Protyre.

The stream is overgrown with fallen trees and water vegetation. In January another tree fell across the water, creating an obstacle for a pair of swans that regularly travel up and down the millstream.

One of the swans can be seen leaving the water and briefly using the bank to get around the obstruction.

The stream then flows beneath the green girder Thames View Bridge.

This bridge connects the Thames View houses to the Abbey Meadows, and here there is noticeably more birdsong, perhaps encouraged by garden bird feeders nearby.

There seem to be robins every few metres along this stretch.

There are also plenty of moorhen,

ducks and other water birds.

At the end of Abbey Close is another bridge, where a sign politely says “Love Abingdon” and “Please take your litter home.” I’ll be visiting this stretch of three bridges throughout 2026 to see how it changes month by month.

The millstream was created in the 10th century, when Abbot Æthelwold rebuilt Abingdon Abbey. It helped drain the abbey grounds while also providing a controlled flow of water to power the abbey’s mills.