The Historic Market Town of Abingdon Also Known as Abingdon-on-Thames
The historic market town of Abingdon, also known as Abingdon on Thames or Abingdon-on-Thames, used to be the county town of Berkshire. Since 1974, however, it has been the seat of the district of Vale of White Horse of Oxfordshire. The town has staked the claim to be the oldest town in England. Historical records show that settlement in this town dates back from the early to middle Iron Age. Buried under the town centre is an oppidum, a protective enclosure as proof of such claim. It appeared that the early English settlers were attracted to the area by the trading and food opportunities provided by the merging of the River Thames and River Oak.
Food, Shopping and Accommodation in Abingdon
This market town is a thriving market town with plenty of cafes, pubs and restaurants. It has cosy cafes in the town’s quiet back streets, and modest pubs serving unbelievably good roast lunches. At the town’s market place, quarterly local craft and food market, monthly farmers market and weekly Monday markets are held.
There is a wide selection of independent shops in this town and an excellent way to spend a day in town is to browse and discover something new in mostly family-run shops. Its streets where the shops are lined up branching out from the old marketplace so that browsing and walking around does not need walking very far. The beauty of it is that everything is just a short distance from the scenic riverbank.
In this town, there are accommodations of all kinds. At the centre of town, there are hotels of all types including modern hotels close to the major highways, B & Bs and modest but chic townhouses located in the surrounding countryside. Holiday accommodations in the town centre or close to it includes Brewery Tap Pub, Abbey Guest House, Cosener’s House Hotel, Crown and Thistle Hotel and B & Bs on East St Helen Street.
Things to See and Do in Abingdon
The town also has wonderful open air spaces that sporty visitors can enjoy, as well as places that are perfect for pure and straightforward relaxation. The town also has impressive historical buildings, pretty gardens, outdoor pool, and water park. There are also events, festivals and markets happening throughout the year.