Abingdon

Abingdon was the county town of Berkshire until 1870, and became part of Oxfordshire when local government was re-organised in 1974. It is a busy market town with a good choice of shops, pubs and restaurants. It was the home of MG motor cars which used to be built at the MG Works, which is now a business centre. It benefits from being aside the River Thames and having an attractive County Hall. However, Jerome K Jerome in his book Three Men in a Boat described Abingdon as a 'dull market town'.
Each year the centre of the town is closed off (twice) for two fairs. The Michaelmas Fair takes place early each Oct (legally the last Mon & Tues before the 11 Oct). Ock Street, High Street and the Market Place are closed off and the fair is thought to be the longest street fair in Europe. In medieval times the fair was intended as a hiring fair for farm workers, these days it's rides, ferris wheels, and more traditional fairground rides and stalls. Then follows the unusual tradition a week or so later of the Runaway Fair. A smaller fair, the history of the Runaway Fair was that it provided an opportunity for those who were hired by cruel masters or found poor working conditions from the earlier Michaelmas Fair could "runaway" and find better employment before the winter.
The town has a unique historic tradition of Bun Throwing dating back over 400 years. In practice it is a bit of a cross between a ceremony and a "bun fight". Held when the Town Council votes to hold one and generally to celebrate a royal occasion. There have been two held in recent years, one to celebrate the 2011 Royal Wedding and another in 2012 to mark the Royal Jubilee. Councillors in full ceremonial robes chuck around 4000 currant buns from the top of County Hall down at the chanting crowds filling the market place below. The buns are specially baked for the occasion with a crown design on the top. The buns are often fought for and preserved by local families and visitors. If your visit happens to be at the same time as a royal occasion check the Town Council Website in case such a rare ceremony has been scheduled.

By road

The town lies on the A34 main road (running Winchester to Salford via Birmingham). 17 miles S of the town the A34 connects to the M4 motorway (London to Swansea) and 18 miles N of the town the A34 connects to the M4 motorway (London to Birmingham)

By rail

• By rail to Oxford, then by bus.

By bus

The town has many bus services connecting it to Oxford, Didcot and surrounding villages. Details of which bus services stop at which bus stops in the town are published by Oxfordshire Council with bus service and route information at OxonTime.

By boat

• By Salter's Steamers which sail daily from Folly Bridge in Oxford from May to Sept.

By bicycle

• National Cycle Route (NCR) 5Runs from Reading to Holyhead through Abingdon. Along its route NCR 5 connects to other National and Regional Cycle Routes integrating it into the National Cycle Network.

• Hanson WayRuns through the town, from Oxford (9 miles) to the N and Didcot (15 miles) to the S (see Sustrans leaflet for route details).

The town is small enough to be seen on foot.

• Abingdon County Hall Museum

  phone: +44 1235 523703
  address: Market Place, OX14 3HG

• Abingdon AbbeyBenedictine monastery also known as St Mary's Abbey. Of the original Abbey complex, today only Abbey Gateway, the part of the Guildhall, and buildings beside the Millstream (the Long Gallery, the Checker, and what is now the Unicorn Theatre) survive. The Abbey Church no longer exists other than some archways in ruins that are a folly built in the 1920s.

• Pendon Museum

  phone: +44 1865 407365
  address: Long Wittenham, Abingdon. OX14 4QD

• Michaelmas & Runaway Fairs

  address: Market Place & Ock St

• Stonehill Riding School

  phone: +44 1235 529915
  address: Stonehill Cottage, Stonehill, Drayton, OX14 4AA

• Drayton Park Golf Club

  phone: +44 1235 528989
  address: Steventon Rd, Drayton, OX14 4LA

• Abingdon Waterways WalkAn illustrated book contains describes about the places you pass on the way and maps to make the route easy. Available from Mostly Books or The Bookstore in the town.

Boating

• Abingdon Bridge Marine

  phone: +44 1235 521125
  address: The Bridge off Bridge St, Abingdon, OX14 3HX
  Rowing boats & various sizes of day motor boats

• Mostly Books

  phone: +44 1235 525880
  address: 36 Stert Street, OX14 3JP
  Small, friendly, independent bookshop which won Bookshop of the Year award in 2008.

• The Bookstore

  phone: +44 1235 539200
  address: 14 Bury St, Abingdon, OX14 3QT

Supermarkets

• Waitrose

  phone: +44 1235 535003
  address: Abbey Close, Abingdon, OX14 3HL

• Tesco

  phone: +44 345 677 8994
  address: Marcham Rd Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 1TU
  Petrol station (different hours). Pharmacy (different hours). ATMs. Wi-Fi.

• Ock Mill Beefeater

  phone: +44 1235 554148
  address: Marcham Road, OX14 1AD

• Spice Valley

  address: 21-27 Ock Street, OX14 5AJ
  Indian restaurant

• The Boundary House

  address: 69 Oxford Road, OX14 2AA

• Zabb Thai

  phone: +44 1235 531115
  address: 12 Ock Street, Abingdon, OX14 5BZ

• Dil Raj

  phone: +44 235 553305
  address: 6 Ock Street, Abingdon., OX14 5AW

• The Kings Head & Bell

  phone: +44 1235 525362
  address: 10 East St Helens St, Abingdon, OX14 5EA

• The Old Anchor

  phone: +44 1235 412669
  address: 1 St Helens Wharf, Abingdon, OX14 5EN

• The Brewery Tap

  phone: +44 1235 521655
  address: 40-42 Ock St, Abingdon, OX14 5BZ
  CAMERA regional champion. Food (different hours)

• The Spread Eagle

  phone: +44 1235 521594
  address: 20 Northcourt Rd, Abingdon, OX14 1PL

• Throwing Buns

  phone: +44 1235 533 656
  address: 8 Market Place, Abingdon, OX14 3HG
  Named after the Abingdon historic tradition of throwing fruit buns from County Hall,

• Crown & Thistle Hotel

  phone: +44 1235 522556
  address: 18 Bridge St, OX14 3HS

• Oxford Abingdon Hotel

  phone: +44 1235 553456
  address: Marcham Road

• Abodes of Oxford B&B

  phone: +44 1865 435229
  address: 6 Blackman Close, Kennington, OX1 5NU

• Rowan Guest House

  phone: +44 1235 522066
  address: 42A Oxford Rd, Abingdon, OX14 2DZ
  Free Wi-Fi. Free on-site parking.

• S Howard B&B

  phone: +44 1235 550979
  address: 22 East St Helen St, Abingdon, OX14 5EB
  Breakfast £10 per person. No breakfast at weekends (but use of shared kitchen).

• Sutton Courtenay, about 2 miles south of Abingdon, where the author George Orwell (Eric Blair) is buried.
• Didcot
• Sandford-on-Thames