Abingdon is a market town in Oxfordshire. It is one of a few places that claim to be the oldest continuously occupied town in Britain.
The Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal, built in 1810 was closed in 1906 but there is now a voluntary trust restoring the canal and will re-open it when the restoration is complete.
Abingdon’s only railway station was closed in 1963 but remained open to freight until 1984. The Branch lines are now cycle paths and the station site is now home to flats, houses and a large Waitrose store. The nearest railway station is a couple of miles away.
Sports facilities are good in Abingdon with the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre and Tilsley Park also providing sports and a recreation area.
Property to Rent is available at an average cost of £790 for a l bed flat, £1214pcm for a 2 bed flat, £1515 for a 2 bed house and £1412 for a 3 bed house.
The Tesco Extra Store situated to the west of the town is one of Tesco’s most profitable stores. There is a retail park, Fairacres, at the moment being redeveloped that is home to Argos, Homebase, Mays Carpets and Viney Home Furnishings and will soon include a Pets at Home store. In the town the High Street has mostly small independent shops and estate agents as the large chain stores have moved to other towns but with all the changes being made to the town this is likely to change. The town centres refurbishment will include a roof over the precinct and the market square has been repaved.
Although many of Abingdon’s residents commute to London and Oxford the town is close to several large scientific employers including UKAEA, Harwell Laboratory and the Diamond Light synchrotron this is the largest scientific UK funded facility to have been built for thirty years.
Abingdon has several large well-known companies trading in the town such as Northern Rock bank, Vodafone and Miele.
The army now occupy Dalton Barracks that was until 1993 a Royal Air Force Station.
The narrow arched bridge over the Thames in Abingdon dates from 1416 and St. Helens Church dates from 1100, it has five aisles and is ten foot wider than it is long.
The Abingdon Museum over looking the market square was once the county hall of Berkshire (Abingdon was the county town of Berkshire until 1867). The hall is built on stilts and this leaves a covered area underneath that can be used for markets and other functions.
Abingdon holds a fair every October the fair was originally a hiring fair but now it is just a funfair held down a very narrow street.
The town has a very old Morris Dancing tradition and this still carries on to this day.
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