Thanks to Jane E for sending news and pictures of the intrepid Abingdon walkers who turned out at 10am on New Year’s Day to walk 8 miles to raise money for Christian Aid. This year the walk started from All Saints’ in Abingdon, walking to Boars Hill via Bayworth then back to Abingdon via Sunningwell.

At the half way point they were welcomed for tea and home made cakes at a house among the tall trees on Boars Hill.

Googling ‘abingdon boundary walk’ I read it started at 11:30am, but failed to notice the date was 1 Jan 2014.

The walk really set out at 11:00am, as advertised on the posters round town, and I found them by walking the reverse direction along the Ock Valley Walk.

We then crossed the ancient Ock Bridge, peeped in at the MG Gardens, and then crossed the road at the Marcham Road lights.

The Town Crier, John Crowley, greeted people at various halts along the way on behalf of the Mayor and Town Council, wishing people a Happy New Year, as he woke some from their slumbers.

He did say he hoped that those indoors would grow a skin like a rhinocerous in 2015 and be able to join the Boundary Walk next year.

He also announced to those ‘waking with the hideous realisation of the new year’s resolutions so sincerely made last night‘ that he hoped ‘the resolutions will last longer than the hangover.‘

He introduced the ‘infinitely informative and lavishly loquacious‘ Patrick Bird who led the walk, and described the 1556 Abingdon boundaries.

At Abingdon Lock, where the two hour walk finished, Patrick showed us a boundary stone, marked with ‘A’ for Abingdob, and handed round pictures of other Abingdon and Parish Boundary stones.