Lodge Hill A34 Interchange – Work Gathering Pace

Leave a reply


Work has been underway for three weeks on the Lodge Hill A34 interchange near Abingdon.

Two of the existing splitter islands have been removed to give construction vehicles easier access, and traffic cones now mark where the islands once stood. The roundabout construction is scheduled next.

Across the site, machinery, yellow safety barriers and teams in hi-vis overalls are busy preparing the ground.

Much of the recent activity has focused on earthmoving with the excavation of a terraced channel through the red soil near the A4183 Oxford Road.

This major project will add south-facing slip roads onto the A34, with two new roundabouts linking the slip roads to the A4183 Oxford Road. It is designed to improve access between Abingdon and the A34 and reduce congestion on the town’s roads as new housing develops to the north.

You can find more details on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

Exposed

Leave a reply


Work at 3 West St Helen Street has been ongoing for two weeks now. The building’s end wall has been taken down and the scaffolding on that side removed, revealing the plastic sheeting that now covers the exposed section. This is the most visible progress on the project in a year.

Harvest Thanksgiving and Harvest 2025 ‘in need of’ guide.

1 Reply


Trinity Church, Abingdon, was decorated with flowers and fruit for this year’s Harvest Thanksgiving service.

During the opening hymn, We Plough the Fields and Scatter, people brought gifts of food to the front of the church. These will be distributed to people in need through the Abingdon Foodbank. In her sermon, Revd Carol Hamilton-Foyn reflected on how food might be more fairly shared in today’s world.

The pictures above show the Farmers’ Market on Friday and the fruit and veg stall on the Market Place on Saturday.

The food brought to the Harvest Thanksgiving was in line with the Abingdon Foodbank Harvest 2025 ‘in need of’ guide. The foodbank operates out of Christchurch and Preston Road Community Centre.

Visitors learn about Biodiversity – and Support St Ethelwold’s Appeal

Leave a reply


John Killick led a tour of the garden at St Ethelwold’s House on the theme of biodiversity.

He spoke about how, throughout history, humans have spread across the world and hunted many animals to extinction. In more recent times, large areas of the earth’s surface have been covered with hard materials such as aggregate which reduces natural habitats.

The group visited a rock supporting lichens, a cooperative growth of fungus and algae, before learning about grasses, which are wind-pollinated and do not rely on insects. John discussed which flowers best support insects, and the role of trees in providing habitats. The garden’s walnut tree, though not native, still benefits many creatures – and an oak tree would support even more.

Afterwards, thanks to Susie and other volunteers, scones were served

Donations were invited for the St Ethelwold’s building appeal, which is now well over halfway to its £70,000 target (currently at £44,000). Thanks to a generous supporter, any contributions made this month (from the 10th Sept to 10th Oct) will be matched – up to £10,000 – doubling their impact.