The pretty little town of Abingdon-on-Thames is frequently mentioned as a strong contender for being England’s oldest continually inhabited town, with a history dating back at least 6,000 years – and its picturesque location on the River Thames only adds to its ancient charm.
Archaeological evidence suggests a Neolithic settlement in the area and continuous habitation over thousands of years, according to the Abingdon Twon Council. Only Celtic settlements in Scotland and Wales are considered older.
The town’s history includes evidence of early hunter-gatherer settlements and a developing town over millennia. The Abingdon County Hall Museum houses a permanent collection showcasing the town’s history from the Iron Age to modern times.
Over a thousand years the town’s wealth and power grew, with the establishment of the abbey and the bridge over the Thames. Abingdon became the county town of Berkshire and in recent centuries industries came and went. Today, Abingdon is a quiet, rural town in Oxfordshire, a unique piece of English history at its finest and a great place to visit.
Abingdon was home to the Abbey of St Mary’s, a significant religious and cultural centre. Once one of the largest abbeys in the country, remnants of it still remain. The Abbey was dissolved in 1538 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. While the main abbey church and other ecclesiastical buildings were demolished, some structures like the abbey gateway, St Nicholas’ Church, and parts of the Guildhall still exist. These remaining buildings are collectively known as Abingdon Abbey Buildings and are located within the Abbey Gardens, where the abbey’s outline is marked on the ground.
The historic town is also known for its unique Bun-Throwing tradition, a 250-year-old custom that celebrates royal occasions. A unique and beloved tradition, it is where local dignitaries throw buns from the roof of the museum to the crowd in the market square during royal celebrations.
The town’s historic market, the Monday Charter Market has been a weekly fixture since 1556. The Monday market is traditional and offers a wide variety of produce and goods. There is also a monthly Farmers’ Market on the third Friday of each month and occasional Local Excellence Markets on Saturdays showcasing local foods, beers and crafts.
This market town has plenty of other boasts. Abingdon Lock for instance, is the oldest surviving lock chamber in the UK. Then there is Abingdon’s County Hall, a huge structure built in 1677-1680, that is considered the “grandest town hall in Britain” with an open ground floor for market activities.
The oldest house in Abingdon is at 26 and 26a East St Helen Street, dating back to around 1430. It is also known as the Medieval Merchant’s House and is the most complete surviving medieval house in Abingdon. The house was bequeathed to the Oxford Preservation Trust in 1970.
Abingdon was once the location of the MG car factory, and also had a notable leather works and a brewery.
A gaol, built by prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars in 1811, is on the south edge of town next to the Thames. In the 1970s the gaol was converted into a lesiure centre and in 2011 the site was developed into residential and commercial premises. According to local legend, prior to its conversion in the 1970s, the gaol was haunted by the ghost of an eight-year-old boy who, after being convicted for arson in the mid-19th century, became the youngest person in the UK to be executed by hanging. Perhaps not one of the town’s better boasts.
