Swans from Spring to Winter at the Abbey Meadows

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Back in May 2024 there were a swan family with 9 cygnets on the Mill Stream near the Abbey Meadows in Abingdon.

Now, halfway through winter, a swan family with four cygnets can be seen along the same stretch. The young swans, almost adult in size, still have youthful brownish plumage and grey bills.

The cygnets remain with their parents, who have not yet chased them away. According to Swan Life, this separation usually happens when cygnets are between five and ten months old.

The move to independence will be a dangerous time. Their first flights bring the risk of colliding with power lines, one of the big hazards in their journey to adulthood. Their new location is unlikely to offer quite the same ready supply of human food as the bridge near the open air pool.

Thamesview Bridge, Abingdon

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This is the bridge I referred to on New Year’s Day as ‘The Abingdon Sword Bridge’. It doesn’t resemble a sword in shape but has a connection to the Abingdon Sword.

The Abingdon Sword, discovered in the River Ock in Abingdon, is now held by the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, with a replica on display at the Abingdon Museum. It’s a fine example of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship, believed to have belonged to a prince or wealthy nobleman.

If you step back and view the bridge from the riverbank, you’ll notice its outer panels feature floral or leafy designs, copied from the handle of the sword. The artist Richard Farrington was commissioned to create these special panels when the bridge was erected in 2007 as part of the Thamesview development.

The inside panels of the bridge show creatures. On one side, the central panel shows the four surrounding panels in miniature. These are thought to represent the four gospel writers, traditionally symbolised as:
* Matthew: A man
* Mark: A lion
* Luke: A calf
* John: An eagle

See if you can see which is which.

On the opposite side are creatures (maybe serpents or dragons) intertwined in the knotty way often seen in Anglo Saxon craftwork.

You might also notice padlocks attached to the bridge cables — left as symbols of modern day romantic relationships. There were more padlocks, but some have been removed and new ones added.

This and other art works round Abingdon can be explored using The Abingdon Art Walk, just one of several walks available from the Friends of Abingdon Civic Society. Paper copies can be found in Abingdon Library and the Information Centre.

More Overnight Snow

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This morning I was surprised to wake up to more snow.

The narrowboat wreck at the weir was successfully removed around December 31st after an earlier attempt on December 23rd. The River Thames is currently running high again and so the salvagers took their chance while they could.

Another boat is damaged and grounded on the wharf near The Upper Reaches. The Upper Reaches itself has been neglected for several years. Andy Ffrench in the Oxford Mail reported talks were going to take place between the Vale of White Horse District and the long term lease holder a few weeks ago.

The birds seemed to enjoy the thawing snow, with blackbirds and thrushes and this Robin searching food in the soft ground.

Traffic is back to rush hour peaks with people back at school and work. The above picture shows the slow crawl along St Helens Wharf.

There was also a lot of traffic going through, or to, Abingdon over Abingdon Bridge.

The snow is pretty while it lasts.

Beauty Salon Moves to West St Helen Street

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A beauty salon has opened in its new location on West St Helen Street, marking a fresh start for the new year, having been for many years in Stert Street. They also have a salon in Boars Hill.

The salon now occupies a Grade II listed building that once served as a mortgage advisor’s office. The relocation was delayed by the need to get planning approval for the change of use and to carry out necessary alterations, such as installing stud walls to create treatment rooms. You can find more about them at utopiabeautique.com