Around Abingdon: Radley

Radley Hall has been mentioned in a previous blogpost, as the residence of Sir George Bowyer. Radley is of interest in its own right, and its history is closely connected with that of Abingdon. Radley is an old settlement. The village goes back to Saxon times, and the name was recorded as Radelea or Radclege

Mrs Reynolds – a remarkable woman

In our post on women in local government, we said that the history of women on Abingdon’s Town Council started in 1950 with Agnes Leonora Challenor. However, that is not the whole story. In this post we present the remarkable life of Edith Reynolds and her role on the Borough Council and in the public

Creative Women of Abingdon

Abingdon has been the home of a number of writers and artists. It is noticeable however that many of them spent most of their careers elsewhere, and that Abingdon is not really reflected in their work. The painter Agnes Tatham, for example, was born in Abingdon and grew up in Northcourt House. Her father, Meaburn

Abingdon Women in Local Government

Many women have contributed to the civic life of the town, be it as Councillors, in the role of Mayor, or by being active in one of Abingdon’s civic societies. The story of Abingdon’s female Mayors starts surprisingly recently, in 1950. That was the year in which Agnes Leonora Challenor was elected to the role,

Abingdon Women in World War 2

During times of war, there are always extra duties to be performed even by those who are not on the front line. Those who stay at home have to keep the citizens safe. Supplies have to be distributed, and refugees have to be housed. More strain is put on places like hospitals, and extra help

Women at Abingdon Museum

To celebrate Women’s History Month, there will be a series of blogposts throughout March, each talking about a particular group of women with a connection to Abingdon. Today it is about the women who have been curators of the museum. Abingdon Museum is perhaps unusual in having been led by female curators for many decades.

Around Abingdon: Sunningwell

There are a number of places around Abingdon which have been connected with the town throughout history, often because the Abbey owned a number of manors in the area. One of these places is Sunningwell, which is just north of Abingdon. In this post, I take a closer look at Sunningwell and pick up a

Extreme Weather in Abingdon: Snow and Ice

It has become something of a cliché: people grumbling that when they were growing up, they had proper winters, not the rain and slush which prevails these days. However, it appears that people have been saying that for a hundred years or more, so it is probably more a matter of viewing your childhood through

Caring for the Abingdon Ichthyosaur

The recent research visit to examine the Abingdon Ichthyosaur presented an excellent opportunity for the Collections Officer to give the fossil some TLC. The display case is rarely opened, but even when shut, it is not completely sealed. The glass top is in three sections, and the joints between them are not sealed, so over

Pubs in Abingdon

The making of beer seems to have been one of humanities earliest achievements. It is possible that even in the Stone Age, people knew how to produce an alcoholic drink from barley and water. Since Abingdon has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years, it is conceivable that the brewing and drinking of beer has