Wooden structure / sculpture on roundabout

5 Replies


Carol says ‘a wooden structure / sculpture has appeared on the roundabout at the junction of Caldecott Road and Drayton Road – any information on who designed it and why it is there?‘

I have no information. But I have started looking at the evidence.

The Oxford Wood Recycling workshop and warehouse is off that roundabout. They have a large number of crates in their carpark waiting to have the nails removed. I did suspect them at first. I wondered if this was a way to advertise their presence. But then I thought they would have made a pyramid of pallet wood.

I did wonder if it could be the work of the famous Abingdon artist, River Banksy,  who carves animals out of wood at Abingdon Lock. But this is too abstract and too far from the River Thames.

This structure look like the wigwams to be found in woodland areas. This wigwam of branches is well made, it looks good from all sides and has some colourful flags made from net bags to attract attention. As we are nearing the end of the academic year it could be the final project of somebody doing an arts course.

Kingfisher Canoe Club activities have restarted

9 Replies


The Kingfisher Canoe Club started regular activities from their new club house about three weeks ago, and there were colourful canoes out on the River Thames this evening.

On Tuesday and Thursday evenings the club have beginner sessions. On Wednesday, and at other ad-hoc times, there are outings for club members.

Planning permission for the new club store / changing facility at Abingdon Lock was gained in 2019 and a Sport England grant of £36,000 and other grants paid for the facility. A lease for the land was granted by the Environment Agency. The easing of lockdown restrictions has allowed activities to restart.

Abbey Fish Ponds – July 2021

Leave a reply


This morning, I climbed a mound with a view across wild flowers and grasses, fenland, and houses at the Abbey Fish Ponds. The sky was cloudy with small patches of blue. Later on in the day the clouds broke up and the sunshine got much brighter.

Where the grasses and meadow flowers grow are brown meadow butterflies. They flutter about. One comes one way, and meets another. They loop round each other, and then carry on.

Sometimes they land long enough for a picture.

There must be millions of flowers and insects at the Abbey Fish Ponds in July.

Birds are well hidden. They can be heard in the bushes but are difficult to see, apart from blackbirds

and wood pigeons.

Some Abbey Fish Ponds remain as ponds all through the summer.

Others get overgrown with tall reeds and sedges.

Work on old Drayton slip road

8 Replies


Reopening the old Drayton slip road onto the A34 has sometimes been talked about as a way of reducing traffic coming into Abingdon on the Drayton Road – where traffic queues are a long running issue.

The slip road was being used by travelers for a spell at the start of the year. Since then interlocking concrete blocks have been put across the entrance and adjoining fences.

Two week ago the blocks were removed and construction traffic entered the slip way. The slipway is not being opened up, as I at first hoped, or being blocked up for good. At the A34 end the slipway has been used as an unofficial layby on the A34, and the work is to make it an official layby. The existing gates will be replaced with heavy duty gates and the interlocking concrete blocks put back.