The Friends of Abingdon

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Caring for our past, present and future

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News from The Friends of Abingdon

A name-change for Abingdon? Abingdon Town Council has voted to change the name of Abingdon to Abingdon-on-Thames and its proposal will be considered by the Vale of White Horse District Council on Wednesday 22 February. Those in favour of the proposal believe that it will help to raise awareness of the town's riverside location and increase the number of visitors.


It is not intended that the change would be mandatory i.e businesses would not have to change letterheads and signage would only be changed when it needed replacing anyway.


Members of the public are invited to submit their views on this qwertyuiop

proposal in advance of the meeting. To contact the council regarding the proposals, you should email democratic.services@southandvale.gov.uk.


Guildhall Complex: Work has started on the refurbishment of the old part (Roysse Room etc) so these rooms are out of action till Easter. This work will not involve significant changes to the appearance of the rooms, but should make them easier to use - including wi-fi access.


Thinking is now well under way on more drastic changes to the modern part of the building. The Town Council has received a report from the consultant who is advising them on the viability of turning this into an attractive multi-purpose entertainment venue, including use as a cinema. In parallel they have engaged other specialists to advise them on the possibilities for structural changes to the Abbey Hall, entrances and foyer/bar areas. This report is due in early February and once they have digested both reports the TC will arrange to present proposals for consultation with community groups. Friends of Abingdon will be involved in that consultation.


Abbey Shopping Centre: Planning approval has been given for the first phase of the Shopping Centre refurbishment. Work will start in February and should be complete by the Autumn. More information is here on the Vale of White Horse web site and you can watch a “virtual tour” here on YouTube.


Public consultation on proposals for the redevelopment of the Charter area is planned for the Spring, with a formal planning application to follow in the Autumn.


The Friends of Abingdon’s submissions to earlier phases of this process can be found here.


The Lost Abbey of Abingdon: Members of The Friends of Abingdon helped with the production of a new booklet published in December describing the history of the Abbey and its context within the town. It is beautifully illustrated with maps, diagrams and computer-generated impressions of the Abbey as it would have been. The booklet is currently available from the town bookshops and the Information Centre and we hope to have copies on sale for our visitors when we re-open the buildings in the spring.


Walks and Maps: The Friends of Abingdon have also been involved in other initiatives to improve information about the town for visitors (and residents) wanting to explore it. The pictorial maps in key locations around the town have been replaced by attractive up-to-date versions; a series of informative interpretation boards guides visitors round the "Lost Abbey" Trail; and the "Abingdon Waterways Walk" is a beautifully presented leaflet setting out a circular walk from Culham, through Abingdon and back via Drayton and Sutton Courtenay. For more see our Abingdon Walks section.


Facebook: The Friends of Abingdon now has a presence on Facebook. For the latest news updates see the FoA Facebook page. As well as providing information, it also gives our members and others an opportunity to post comments and suggestions.