The view from East St Helen Street to the new flats of the Old Gaol development looks quite imposing. This is the view from the walled garden of one Abingdon’s oldest houses. The new flats will look better when the scaffold is down, but it seems an imposition on people living down that side of the street.
Large posters have appeared in the windows fronting Bridge Street. One thing they mention is theoldgaol.com, a website launched on 1st August, which has details about the properties and what prospective buyers can enjoy if they move to “Abingdon on Thames”.
The website has a gallery of pictures of the development, and a virtual tour of how it will all look.
In the virtual tour this building is cleaned up with decorative windows. People are seated inside and alongside in the conservatory where the old entrance used to be.
Finally to quote theoldgaol.com website about the designated public areas “… attractive pedestrian walkways linking Bridge Street to East St Helen Street will ensure easy access within the Town Centre.
The new restaurant quarter comprises 11,848 sq ft of flexible space that provides for up to three or four restaurant premises. External seating is available for each unit overlooking either the River Thames or within the attractive courtyard.
Throughout the year the public gardens and courtyard will be able to host Art & Craft exhibitions, open-air theatre productions, picnics, festivals and weddings (subject to the appropriate licenses).”
Why this mania for putting those protruding slatted things all over the outside of the flats – looks like a hospital, in fact just like the NOC redevelopment.
Health and Safety gone overboard??, those metal ‘poles’ from the roof,
I suppose all that wood is to appear ‘Green’ and to break up the stonework. Which is a shame because freshly refurbished stone looks better….
Virtual Tour is always hard to judge scale, In the past models used to have smaller scale figures and cars to emphasise the buildings allegedly. When the Gloucester Green bus park was a model it clearly showed more parking spaces for bus/coach. or is it the fact that transport (and people) are bigger! 😉
Agreed Julian. The new buildings have no soul. Just white boxes, which don’t look good now and will be dated in 15 years. I like what they have done with it, just not the style of the buildings they have added.
so basically just restaurants and flats….. nothing for the local people really…….and i bet the restaurants will be pricey……
shame i have wonderful memories as a child using the old gaol….i used to enjoy swimming and the roller discos, the wednesday disco and when i got older i used to attend the more sporty side of the amenities…….
When do the planners ever consider people? I feel so sorry for those people in East St Helen’s Street, fancy having that monstrosity looming over their gardens. Hardly fits in with the historic nature of the surrounding buildings either, does it?!!
I do like the virtual tour – apart from the couple clearly havng a row at about 2.05, the sun seems to be high in the north for that section…
I imagine if that video didn’t have the blazing sunshine it would look very oppressing, but it’s hard to say. I think it looks very fresh, but how long can that last?
(I never saw the place beforehand)
anyone who buys a home in a former prison proably wants a certain atmosphere – as opposed to chocolate box cottage.
…I actually think it looks quite good. And that is coming froma born cynic.
Having said that (and here comes the cynasism)….is it right for Abingdon? It appears to be just a load of flats, and some shady restaurants….and what about the river access – or do those few feet by the river (next to the expensive looking boat) meet that part of the specification?
Not really sure how this will all make the town even better…but then as we know, it was never about that, was it?
On balance, I fear it will just go down as another opportunity to improve things, that was given away.
Hey-ho….at least the town centre redevelopment will redress the balanace…..
I’m an optimist – looking forward to sone new restaurants with river views.
Re: your quote below. It seems there is public access between East St helens and Bridge st but is there public access to the river or do you have to be eating in the restuarant? I can’t see any clear diagrams showing public right of way
Finally to quote theoldgaol.com website about the designated public areas “… attractive pedestrian walkways linking Bridge Street to East St Helen Street will ensure easy access within the Town Centre.