Abbey Gardens in the Heat

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We are into another hot spell in Abingdon, and the grass in the Abbey Gardens has faded to the same sandy colour as the path.

The Indian Bean Tree, with its oversized leaves and exotic flowers, has just finished its brief flowering. The trees are still green and contrast to the dry grass below.

Canna lilies are beginning to flower, rising above the snapdragons in the formal beds.

In the wilder corners on both sides near the hotel, there’s a drift of taller plants and flowers that insects clearly prefer to the formal beds.

Have Your Say on New Parking Proposals in Abingdon

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Oxfordshire County Council is currently consulting on two proposed on-street parking schemes in Abingdon: one for the North Central area, which includes the Fitzharris and Workhouse Estates, and one for the Ock Street area. These proposals follow feedback from an informal consultation with residents in November 2024. The current consultation is open until 1st August 2025.

The schemes aim to address all-day parking by non-residents and congestion caused by school traffic, which can make parking and access difficult for those living in the areas.

Under the proposals:

  • Resident-only parking areas would be introduced, with permits available for residents to purchase. There would be exemptions for carers and some services
  • Some areas near shops would allow shared use: residents with permits can park, and non-permit holders can park for up to 2 hours free.
  • A small area outside Trinity Church and near Edward Street shops, would allow up to 4 hours free parking with or without a permit.

Residents in these areas would need to buy permits, as is already the case in central Abingdon. In the central Abingdon scheme, permit income helps cover enforcement costs, including the employment of traffic wardens. I would expect a similar model in the new zones.

You can view and respond to the consultations here:

Paint Abingdon Pink – Saturday 12th July 2025

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Against Breast Cancer’s annual community fundraising event formerly Splash of Pink and now after a public vote Paint Abingdon Pink will be on Abingdon Market Place on Saturday 12th July from 10:00 to 16:00.

There will be live music by groups thanks to The Skittle Alley, performances from Abingdon belly dancers, arts and crafts, Star Trek characters, and a barbecue. Stalls from many local groups and societies will add to the atmosphere.

Some Shop windows are already painted pink in preparation. This example is one of the Masons pink windows

and here is another pink touch.

A special highlight will be the creation of a communal artwork, inviting members of the public to take part in remembering and celebrating loved ones lost to cancer. As well as raising funds the event will raise awareness in support of life-saving breast cancer research.

The Monk Has Fallen – Again

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The wooden monk that once stood on the Marcham Road roundabout has fallen again. Carved from a single tree trunk, he was a reminder of Abingdon’s Abbey, greeting drivers as they arrived from the A34.

But time and weather have taken their toll. The base has rotted from within, splitting apart and throwing the monk to the ground. Another crack runs through his head – as if suffering double vision.

Over the years, the monk had become a local character. Occasionally dressed up in costumes, he brought smiles and scandal to this prominent Marcham Road Roundabout.

Originally installed by Abingdon Town Council during a Britain in Bloom campaign and sponsored by Abbey Press, the figure was cared for — until Abbey Press closed and no new sponsor came forward. He first fell a couple of years ago and after a few months was propped back up. But now the rot has spread too far.

I was recently in Cirencester and saw their own monk and abbot, standing in their Abbey Grounds. Unlike our monk, they stand on a stone base, protected from the soil. They were created by an artist as part of the Abbey 900 Legacy Project and dedicated in September 2021.

Our Marcham Road monk may have fallen, but the idea behind him still stands: a reminder of Abingdon’s heritage. Perhaps it’s time to ask — what should decorate the roundabout now? It’s the first roundabout many visitors see on the way into town. Although many visitors don’t get further than that roundabout – with its out-of-town hotels, trading estate, business park, petrol stations and supermarkets.