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Join the heritage trail and retrace the history of Abingdon Abbey

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Residents are being invited to retrace the history of Abingdon Abbey with the launch of the town’s new Abbey Heritage Trail this weekend.

The new trail aims to highlight the history of the famous Abbey, making it accessible to the public through interpretation boards which link the town’s main medieval abbey sites.  

The trail begins at the Gateway (next to theGuildhall), taking in St Nicolas Church and then Roysse Court, before moving on to the site of Abingdon School and St John’s Hospital in the town centre.  

The walk then proceeds on via the bridge to the Abbey buildings, through theAbbeyGardensand along the millstream to end atBarton Courtruins.  Visitors can then choose to return back the way they came or go over Abingdon weir and lock to walk back along the river bank to the bridge.

The trail will be opened at11amat the Gateway on Saturday 10 September as part of the Abingdon Heritage Open Weekend activities and volunteers will be taking some guided walks along the trail over the weekend.

The Lost Abbey Project was granted £49,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and work has been carried out by the Friends of theAbbeyGardens, a group of local volunteers passionate about Abingdon’s history.

The funds are being used to help increase knowledge of the Gardens, as well as raising awareness of the Abbey and its historical importance during medieval times.

In addition to the Heritage Trail the work will include a booklet on the history of the Abbey and an education pack to encourage schools to visit the site. These are set to be available in 2012.

As well as money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, contributions have also been made to the project by Abingdon Joint Environmental Trust, the Vale of White Horse District Council and Friends of Abingdon with design assistance generously given by West WaddyADP.

Mary Lambeof the Friends of Abbey Gardens, said: “It is fantastic that funding from the Heritage Lottery fund has enabled us to produce this exciting new informative trail on the medieval history of Abingdon.”

CllrRoger Cox, cabinet member for planning at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “We are delighted to be supporting this important project and helping to highlight the rich and important history of the Abbey area in Abingdon to a much wider audience.”

Delight as Guildhall future is secured

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The future of Abingdon Guildhall has been secured after the Vale of White Horse District Council agreed to transfer the building to Abingdon Town Council.

The deal, which will see the keys to the Guildhall and the adjacent Roysse Court handed over to the town council on 1 April 2011, means that the community facility, with its historic paintings and artefacts that already belong to the town, is now secure for the people of Abingdon to use and enjoy for many years to come.

The arrangement means that the town council will take control of both buildings and their day to day operation, including the staff currently employed at the site. 

The agreement will see a one-off contribution of £1.2 million paid to the town council to fund improvement work that needs to be carried out to the building over the coming years.  However, the transfer will also provide a much needed financial boost for the Vale by saving year on year revenue running costs of around £100,000, as well as removing obligations for the buildings’ up keep in the future.

The substantial reduction in government funding to the Vale made it increasingly difficult for the district council to guarantee the future of this fantastic facility. 

Under town council management there will be greater opportunities for staff and councillors to work towards reversing the decline in community usage and improving the facilities through the injection of funds for investment.

Abingdon Town Council also has the longer-term option of moving its administrative offices from their current Old Abbey House location (leased from the Vale) over to the Guildhall and Roysse Court when its existing lease runs out, a move which could make a substantial annual saving.

The Abingdon Guildhall is believed to date back to 1563.  The oldest part of the building, including the Roysse Room, is listed.  In the 1960s the building was extended to include the large Abbey Hall and has been run by the Vale Council since 1974.

Cllr Richard Webber, Vale executive member for Civic Halls, said: “We know that people in Abingdon have been concerned about the future of the Guildhall for some time, so I’m sure that many will be absolutely delighted to hear that the future of this important community facility is now secure.  With the support and on‑going commitment of the town council and the people of Abingdon – the building can be best run to the benefit of those that love it most.”

Cllr Lesley Legge, Leader of Abingdon Town Council, said: “I am delighted that this facility returns to town ownership.  Short-term improvements will be made and we will be planning for sustainable improvement and development of the facility in the medium and longer term, with the community very much involved.  We look forward to the future.”