Abingdon-on-Thames

Abingdon-on-Thames is in Oxfordshire on the River Thames about 7 miles south of Oxford. It is a busy market town with a good choice of shops, pubs and restaurants. It sits aside the River Thames and having an attractive County Hall.

Understand

St Helen's Church and the River Thames at Abingdon

Abingdon was the county town of Berkshire until 1870, and became part of Oxfordshire when local government was re-organised in 1974. It was the home of MG motor cars which used to be built at the MG Works, which is now a business centre. However, Jerome K Jerome in his book Three Men in a Boat described Abingdon as a 'dull market town'.

Each year the centre of the town is closed off (twice) for two fairs. The Michaelmas Fair takes place early each Oct (legally the last Monday & Tuesday before 11 Oct). Ock Street, High Street and the Market Place are closed off and the fair is thought to be the longest street fair in Europe. In medieval times the fair was intended as a hiring fair for farm workers, these days it's rides, ferris wheels, and more traditional fairground rides and stalls. Then follows the unusual tradition a week or so later of the Runaway Fair. A smaller fair, the history of the Runaway Fair was that it provided an opportunity for those who were hired by cruel masters or found poor working conditions from the earlier Michaelmas Fair could "runaway" and find better employment before the winter.

The town has a unique historic tradition of Bun Throwing dating back over 400 years. In practice it is a bit of a cross between a ceremony and a "bun fight". Held when the Town Council votes to hold one and generally to celebrate a royal occasion. One was held to celebrate the 2011 Royal Wedding, and another in 2012 to mark the Royal Jubilee. Councillors in full ceremonial robes chuck around 4000 currant buns from the top of County Hall down at the chanting crowds filling the market place below. The buns are specially baked for the occasion with a crown design on the top. The buns are often fought for and preserved by local families and visitors. If your visit happens to be at the same time as a royal occasion check the Town Council Website in case such a rare ceremony has been scheduled.

Visitor information

• Abingdon Visitor Information Centre, Roysse Court Offices, Bridge Street, OX14 3HU (through the blue door in the corner next to the small green and floral displays). Monday to Friday 10AM-4PM, Saturday at Abingdon Museum. (updated Apr 2024)

Get in

By road

The town lies on the A34 main road (running Winchester to Salford via Birmingham). 17 miles south of the town the A34 connects to the M4 motorway (London to Swansea) and 18 miles north of the town the A34 connects to the M40 motorway (London to Birmingham)

By rail

The nearest station is Radley, however, trains run more frequently to Oxford. Both options require a bus connection to reach Abingdon town centre.

• 1 Radley train station. On the Cherwell Valley Line from Banbury to Didcot Parkway via: Kings Sutton, Heyford, Tackley, Oxford, Culham and Appleford. There are also connections to Worcester and Bicester. (updated Dec 2023)
• 2 Oxford train station. (updated Dec 2023)

By bus

The town has many bus services connecting it to Oxford, Didcot and surrounding villages. Details of which bus services stop at which bus stops in the town are published by Oxfordshire Council with bus service and route information at OxonTime.

By boat

• By Salter's Steamers which sail daily from Folly Bridge in Oxford from May to Sep.

By bicycle

• National Cycle Route (NCR) 5. Runs from Reading to Holyhead through Abingdon. Along its route NCR 5 connects to other National and Regional Cycle Routes integrating it into the National Cycle Network. (updated Jun 2017)
• Hanson Way. Runs through the town, from Oxford (9 miles) to the N and Didcot (15 miles) to the S (see Sustrans leaflet for route details). (updated Jun 2017)

Get around

The town is small enough to be seen on foot.

See

Abbey Ruins

Abingdon Abbey

• 1 Abingdon County Hall Museum, Market Place, OX14 3HG, ☏ +44 1235 523703. 10AM-4PM. Free entry to museum, prices for access to the roof are: adults £2.00, children £0.50, concessions £1.00.  
• 2 Abingdon Abbey. Benedictine monastery also known as St Mary's Abbey. Of the original Abbey complex, today only Abbey Gateway, the part of the Guildhall, and buildings beside the Millstream (the Long Gallery, the Checker, and what is now the Unicorn Theatre) survive. The Abbey Church no longer exists other than some archways in ruins that are a folly built in the 1920s. (updated May 2017)
• 3 Pendon Museum (Scale Model Museum), Long Wittenham, Abingdon. OX14 4QD (6 miles E of the town), ☏ +44 1865 407365, info@pendonmuseum.com. (updated May 2017)

JET, the largest operational nuclear fusion reactor in the world, at Culham Science Park

• 4 JET, Road 8, Culham Science Park, OX14 3DB (take the train to Culham station), ☏ +44 1235 528822, communications@ukaea.uk. Sa 9AM-noon, 1-4PM; W 6:30-9:30PM. About 4 km south-east of Abingdon, one of mankind's most ambitious scientific experiments is concealed behind fences and tree rows. JET, the largest operational nuclear fusion reactor in the world, has been developed and continuously upgraded since it first reached criticality in 1984. Although it can only sustain fusion of deuterium for a few seconds before it overheats and needs to cool down again, experiments performed here changed the world's perception of nuclear fusion. Open days on Saturdays and open evenings on Wednesday nights are regularly organized, during which visitors get an introduction to fusion technology. A guided tour shows control room, robotics facilities, and of course a glimpse of the reactor. Not suitable for visitors with limited mobility or pacemakers. You must bring a photo ID, or will be refused entry to the site. Free. (updated Sep 2018)

Do

• 1 Michaelmas & Runaway Fairs, Market Place & Ock St. Michaelmas: last Monday & Tuesday before 11 Oct each year midnight-10PM. Runaway: 1 week later. (updated May 2017)
• 2 Stonehill Riding School, Stonehill Cottage, Stonehill, Drayton, OX14 4AA, ☏ +44 1235 529915. (updated May 2017)
• 3 Drayton Park Golf Club, Steventon Rd, Drayton, OX14 4LA, ☏ +44 1235 528989. (updated May 2017)
• Abingdon Waterways Walk (8 mile circular walk). An illustrated book contains describes about the places you pass on the way and maps to make the route easy. Available from Mostly Books or The Bookstore in the town. £2. (updated May 2017)

Boating

• 4 Abingdon Bridge Marine (Day Boat Hire on River Thames), The Bridge off Bridge St, Abingdon, OX14 3HX, ☏ +44 1235 521125, info@abingdonbridgemarine.co.uk. Rowing boats & various sizes of day motor boats Rowing boat: £20 per hr to £100 per day. 6 person motor boat: £35 per hr to £175 per day. Other boats and prices available.. (updated May 2017)

Buy

• 1 Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, OX14 3JP, ☏ +44 1235 525880. M-Sa 9AM-5PM. Small, friendly, independent bookshop which won Bookshop of the Year award in 2008. 
• 2 The Bookstore, 14 Bury St, Abingdon, OX14 3QT, ☏ +44 1235 539200. M-Sa 9AM-5:30PM. (updated May 2017)

Supermarkets

• 3 Waitrose (Supermarket), Abbey Close, Abingdon, OX14 3HL, ☏ +44 1235 535003. M-F 7:30AM-9PM; Sa 7:30AM-8PM; Su 10AM-4PM. (updated May 2017)
• 4 Tesco (Superstore/supermarket), Marcham Rd Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 1TU (By A34 junction for Abingdon), ☏ +44 345 677 8994. M 6AM-midnight; Tu-Sa 24 hr; Su 10AM-4PM. Petrol station (different hours). Pharmacy (different hours). ATMs. Wi-Fi. (updated May 2017)

Eat

• 1 Ock Mill Beefeater, Marcham Road, OX14 1AD, ☏ +44 1235 554148. 
• 2 Spice Valley, 21-27 Ock Street, OX14 5AJ. Indian restaurant 
• 3 The Boundary House, 69 Oxford Road, OX14 2AA. 
• 4 Hugomangos (Thai restaurant), 12 Ock Street, Abingdon, OX14 5BZ, ☏ +44 1235 531115. (updated Jun 2020)
• 5 Dil Raj, 6 Ock Street, Abingdon., OX14 5AW, ☏ +44 235 553305, info@dilrajabingdon.co.uk. Daily noon-2:30PM, 6-11:30PM. (updated May 2017)
• 6 White Hart, Main Road, Fyfield OX13 5LW (Off A420), ☏ +44 1865 390585. Tu-Su noon-11PM. Excellent food in a 15th-century country gastropub. (updated Jul 2020)

Drink

• 1 The Kings Head & Bell, 10 East St Helens St, Abingdon, OX14 5EA, ☏ +44 1235 525362. M-W noon-11PM; Th noon-11:30PM; F Sa noon-12:30AM. (updated May 2017)
• 2 The Old Anchor, 1 St Helens Wharf, Abingdon, OX14 5EN, ☏ +44 1235 412669. Daily noon-late. (updated May 2017)
• 3 The Brewery Tap, 40-42 Ock St, Abingdon, OX14 5BZ, ☏ +44 1235 521655, thebrewerytap@gmail.com. M-Th 11AM-11:30PM; F Sa 11AM-1AM; Su noon-11PM. CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) regional champion. Food (different hours). (updated May 2017)
• 4 The Spread Eagle, 20 Northcourt Rd, Abingdon, OX14 1PL (1½ miles from town centre), ☏ +44 1235 521594, nicatthespreadeagle@gmail.com. M-Th 11AM-11:30PM; F 11AM-midnight; Sa Su 11AM-11:30PM. (updated May 2017)
• 5 Throwing Buns, 8 Market Place, Abingdon, OX14 3HG, ☏ +44 1235 533 656. M-Sa 8:30AM-5PM; Su 9AM-4PM. Named after the Abingdon historic tradition of throwing fruit buns from County Hall, (updated May 2017)
• 6 The North Star, 2 Stocks Lane, Steventon OX13 6SG. Tu-Th 5-10PM, F 3-10PM, Sa Su noon-10PM. Delightful old village pub. (updated Jun 2022)

Sleep

• 1 Crown & Thistle Hotel, 18 Bridge St, OX14 3HS, ☏ +44 1235 522556. 
• 2 Oxford Abingdon Hotel, Marcham Road, ☏ +44 1235 553456, abingdon@four-pillars.co.uk. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. £38-110. 
• 3 Abodes of Oxford B&B, 6 Blackman Close, Kennington, OX1 5NU (in Kennington, 4 miles north of Abingdon), ☏ +44 1865 435229, info@abodesuk.com. 
• 4 Rowan Guest House, 42A Oxford Rd, Abingdon, OX14 2DZ, ☏ +44 1235 522066, rowenguesthouse@googlemail.com. Check-in: 4AM-8:30AM, check-out: 10AM. Free Wi-Fi. Free on-site parking. (updated May 2017)
• 5 S Howard B&B, 22 East St Helen St, Abingdon, OX14 5EB, ☏ +44 1235 550979, info@abingdonbedandbreakfast.com. Breakfast £10 per person. No breakfast at weekends (but use of shared kitchen). £45 single, £65 double. Lower rates for longer stays.. (updated May 2017)
• 6 B&B Rafters, Abingdon Rd, Marcham OX13 6NU, ☏ +44 1865 391298. Stylish B&B with four rooms in Marcham village. No children under 12 or dogs. B&B double £80. (updated Aug 2020)

Go next

• Sutton Courtenay, about 2 miles south of Abingdon, where the author George Orwell (Eric Blair) is buried.
• Didcot
• Sandford-on-Thames

Routes through Abingdon-on-Thames

Oxford ←

N  S

→ Didcot → Southampton