Abingdon Green Spaces

Abby Gardens

Garden entry Queen Victoria Statue Sceen from Fun in the Park Small attractive lake

Access

The gardens are very close to the town centre and are bordered on one side by Abbey Close. There are two entries to the Gardens from Abbey Close and one from the Cattle Market Car Park. The one at the end of Abbey close contains information boards on the gardens.

Connectivity

It is pleasant to walk through these gardens to get from the centre of the town to the Abbey Meadows.

Walk 7 our Healthy Abingdon Circular Walks passes through the gardens (this full circular walk is not possible at present as the weir/lock crossing of the Thames is closed for repairs):

Map of gatdens

The Gardens

While covering a fairly small area, it includes an interesting mix of very different gardens including

A formal garden
An old house garden
An open park area
A rock garden
An ornamental lake

The formal garden is circular with neat rows of plants. It is a pleasant place to sit and and relax.

The house garden was the garden for Old Abbey house which is now a hotel. When it was a private house, the owner, Edwin James Trendell, had decorated the garden with features taken from old churches.

The open park area is a wide expanse of grass with trees mainly around the edge. It is the area where Abingdon Abbey once stood and the outline if the abbey building is marked with lines of stones set into the ground. This is a perfect area for play and picnics or just sitting enjoying scene. People enjoy playing ball games in this area.

There is a statue of Queen Victoria overlooking the open area and there is a curious but rather attractive folly in one corner of the open area. The Folly was build in the nineteen century and is known as Trendill's Folly. It has nothing to do with the Abbey.

The rock garden has a straight walk through it know as the Italian Walk. The ground either side is raised. The area is bounded on on one side by a high stone wall and there is a rough path which runs along by the wall. This path is exciting for children to explore. Trendell's Folly is at one end of the Italian Walk.

Water from the Abbey mill stream is diverted on a small but attractive lake at the eastern end of the gardens.

The area of the gardens is approximately 300m by 100m.


Excellent sign with map and information on the gardens. Situated bear Abbey Close car park.	Entry to gardens.

Walk through rock garden known as Italian walk.	Rough path near the high wall and the rock garden. Fun for children to explore.

Strange rock in rock garden	Formal garden

Open area. Great for ball games.	Stones marking the extent of the Abbey

There are shady places around the open area for you to sit.	Queen Victoria statue. This was originally in the market square.

Trendell's Folly. This has nothing to do with Abingdon Abbey but it is very attractive.	Water feature at eastern end of Gardens.

Points of interest

Edible Abingdon has set up raise vegetable and herb beds in the Old Abbey House Garden. You are welcome to take some of the produce.

Sadly, the greatest feature of the gardens, Abingdon Abbey, is no longer there. the abbey initially formed in the late seventh century but was dissolved in 1538 by order of Henry VIII. There is a board near the Abbey Close care park which gives information on the Abbey.

The open area in the gardens hosts an great annual event, Fun and Music in the Park.

A scene in the BBC's science fiction series, Blake's 7, was filed at Trendell's Folly. The series ran from 1978 to 1982.


Edible Abingdon information board	The Edible Abingdon produce

Information board about Abingdon Abbey	Fun and Music in the Park. Picture courtesy of Abingdon Blog.