Abingdon

Abingdon on Thames
Abingdon an Historical Thames-Side Market Town
Abingdon claims to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town. Abingdon though just down river from Oxford was once Berkshire's County Town. Abingdon's refusal of Brunel's Great Western Railway sealed its fate as an important town. That means however that Abingdon remains a relatively unspoilt and delightful place to live.

Quiz: How Well do You Know Abingdon On Thames?
Quiz on Abingdon?
Ten Question Abingdon on Thames Quiz. So how well do you know Abingdon?   Also see below for an Abingdon Photo Quiz Abingdon claims to be England's longest continuously inhabited town from the Iron Age to present day. Abingdon was for a long time Berkshire's County Town, however Abingdon's failure to get a main line railway station condemned it to industrial decline and Reading took the crown. Eventually Abingdon left Berkshire altogether and is now in Oxfordshire. Abingdon's fortunes shone...

Old Gaol Redevelopment Abingdon
Abingdon's Napoleonic Era Gaol
The Old Gaol was built from 1805 to 1811 by Napoleonic prisoners of war. It housed all prisoners for the County of Berkshire for 50 years and has the distinction of being the first British example of a gaol built with wings extending from a central core. It was a modern prison at the time with airy cells, exercise yards, an infirmary and chapel. From 1874 it was used as a grain store when it was bought John Creemer Clarke MP for Abingdon and owner of Clarkes's Clothing factory in West St Hele...

Caldecott House Abingdon
Former Dr Barnado's Home
Caldecott House existed in one form or another since Saxon times until 1972 when it was demolished to make way for a housing estate. The tree and lawn in the photo survives. This lens is a record of the history of the house and the people.