For a few weeks I’m working within sound of Bow Bells, and have started to seek out places in London associated with Abingdon. First place I found is the church of St Mary Abbots …
A noble knight who was given lands in Kensington (after 1066 and all that) had a son who was taken seriously ill. Faritius, Abbot of the Abbey of St Mary at Abingdon, helped cure the boy, and as a result the grateful knight bequeathed the church in Kensington, and much land, to the abbey.
Abingdon Abbey established a parish in Kensington, dedicated to St Mary. The church, opposite Kensington High Street Tube Station, has been rebuilt since, but is still called St Mary Abbots – the ‘Abbots’ being in memory of Faritius and his successors. I believe it has the tallest steeple in London at 278 feet. (Trinity in Abingdon is 128 feet. Not sure about St Helens.)
If you can, check out the road between the Houses of Parliament and the Clock Tower that has Big Ben in it. if memory serves right it is Abingdon Street.
That could well be number 2. Not sure what number 3 will be yet though.
There’s a st Edmunds of Abingdon church in millwall (westferry road). Don’t know what tge connection is apart from the name but could be a number 3 for you.
Sounds a good connection to me! St Edmund was born in Abingdon in 1175 and eventually became Archbishop of Canterbury.
His surname Rich is the name of one of the houses at Our Lady’s Abingdon school.
st Edmunds Lane is named after him as his birthplace.
sounds a good idea. I can’t remember ever visiting Millwall before.
Used to live near there in Brockley – certainly not normally first pick on the London tourist trail – still you could visit the New Den and maybe pop into Goldsmiths College to see up and coming artists if you want to make a day of it.
I do know Goldsmiths though so maybe have been near … It got featured on my occasional not Abingdon blog (apology for the rude artistic words on this one)
Did done work down there a few years ago – great set of bitchy stories about Damien hurst
Lol just read your link – yes very consistent with the hurst stories
There are a number of links in Kensinton e..g The Abingdon Pub on Abingdon St.
http://theabingdon.co.uk/
Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic article. Keep writing.