Abingdon: Oxfordshire's Oldest Town on the Thames With a Market That Keeps Going
Abingdon claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited town in England, citing archaeological evidence of settlement going back over 6,000 years. Whether the claim holds up to scrutiny depends on your definitions, but the town is undeniably old. Abingdon Abbey, founded in 675 AD, was one of the wealthiest Benedictine monasteries in England before the Dissolution. The surviving abbey buildings include the Long Gallery and the Checker Hall. The town sits on the River Thames, about six miles south of Oxford. The population is around 39,000. The county hall in the Market Place, built in 1682 (possibly by Christopher Wren, though this is disputed), now houses the Abingdon Museum.
The Market Place hosts a market on Mondays, and the Bury Street area has independent shops. The Regal Cinema, a restored 1930s picture house, continues to show films. The MG car factory on the Marcham Road produced cars from 1929 until its closure in 1980; the site is now a business park. The European Space Agency's Climate Change Initiative operates from Harwell Campus, a few miles to the south. Abingdon station closed in 1963, and the nearest rail connection is now Didcot Parkway, about five miles away on the Great Western Main Line. The A34 passes to the west. For those interested in adult companionship in the south Oxfordshire area, Abingdon's proximity to Oxford and the A34 corridor makes it accessible from several directions.
Show more
Abingdon claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited town in England, citing archaeological evidence of settlement going back over 6,000 years. Whether the claim holds up to scrutiny depends on your definitions, but the town is undeniably old. Abingdon Abbey, founded in 675 AD, was one of the wealthiest Benedictine monasteries in England before the Dissolution. The surviving abbey buildings include the Long Gallery and the Checker Hall. The town sits on the River Thames, about six miles south of Oxford. The population is around 39,000. The county hall in the Market Place, built in 1682 (possibly by Christopher Wren, though this is disputed), now houses the Abingdon Museum.
The Market Place hosts a market on Mondays, and the Bury Street area has independent shops. The Regal Cinema, a restored 1930s picture house, continues to show films. The MG car factory on the Marcham Road produced cars from 1929 until its closure in 1980; the site is now a business park. The European Space Agency's Climate Change Initiative operates from Harwell Campus, a few miles to the south. Abingdon station closed in 1963, and the nearest rail connection is now Didcot Parkway, about five miles away on the Great Western Main Line. The A34 passes to the west. For those interested in adult companionship in the south Oxfordshire area, Abingdon's proximity to Oxford and the A34 corridor makes it accessible from several directions.
Country selected
Region selected
City selected
