Abingdon is very pretty…
For those who haven’t been (which until July 2021 included me), the town of Abingdon is in Oxfordshire around 10km south of Oxford. Most of Oxfordshire sits between the Chiltern Hills and North Wessex Downs to the southeast, and the Cotswolds in the northwest. So it’s kind of a valley.
Abingdon itself sits on the confluence of the River Thames (giving the town its official name ‘Abingdon on Thames’) and the much smaller River Ock. As the whole area around it, it’s all rather beautiful.
The whole area is steeped in history. There are signs of iron age settlements across the region dating back some 5,000 years. The Romans also quite liked it here, and probably introduced wine growing to the region.
‘Modern’ Abingdon grew from the Saxon settlement, which displaced Britannic folks after the Roman retreat and originated from what would today be the Netherlands, northern Germany, and southern Denmark. These folks had funky names like Æthelwold (a man) or Æthelflæd (a lady).
Real Merry Olde England stuff. And very pretty. Check out Abgindon’s scenery from July to September 2021.
I’ll follow up with posts about history, the surrounding area, and some events that happen here.
Abingdon Bridge seen from the River Thames in July 2021
The River Thames seen from Abingdon’s Abbey Meadows in August 2021
A boat passes through Abingdon on the Thames in July 2021.
The River Ock flows through Abingdon shortly before it joins the Thames. August 2021.
A little deer roams the woods around the River Ock in Abingdon. August 2021.
The sun sets over Abingdon’s St Helen’s Church in August 2021.
A summer evening spent looking at Abingdon’s Nag’s Head Island (and the Nag’s Head pub on it) in the River Thames in September 2021.
A view from Abingdon’s Nag’s Head Island up the River Thames towards Oxford. September 2021.
The sun rises over Abingdon Lock in late September 2021.
As summer ends, autumn fogs becomes more frequent, as seen here at Abingdon Lock in early October 2021.
