Yesterday we visited the original Annie’s Tearooms at  the Canal in Thrupp (near Kidlington) and enjoyed Sweet potatoe soup  (featured on the Not Abingdon Blog).

Today we started a walk at Annie’s at the Boathouse in Abingdon. We split the sudoku and  crossword so we both had a puzzle to do, then enjoyed some warming Leek and potato soup. We noticed that other Thames walkers had also stopped off here for refreshments.

We left Annie’s behind and walked along the far bank of the River Thames. For anybody driving along the A34, Abingdon might just look like a place of business parks, and out of town shopping.

but Abingdon is a river town with all its buildings on one bank of the River Thames.

The walk in the direction of Culham is muddy in places so boots are a good idea at this time of year. The walk passes close to the old Culham Bridge, built in the reign of Henry V, and no longer used for traffic. So you can head back to Abingdon from there along the causeway or…

take the route via Sutton Courtney (next Thames crossing) and back to Abingdon – a seven mile walk. The spire of St Helen’s Church can be seen for miles around, and the bright lights of the Old Anchor are there to welcome visitors on winter evenings.

The splendid Old County Hall was completed in 1682 by Christopher Kempster, one of Wren’s master masons during the building of St Paul’s Cathedral. The County Hall houses the town’s museum, and is well lit up at this time of year.