Information on Road Closures and Traffic Restrictions during the Michaelmas Fair
This year’s Michaelmas Street Fair will run on 5th, 6th, and 7th October 2025. The main focus of the fair is the Market Place, High Street and Ock Street.
Temporary Traffic Restrictions
Abingdon Michaelmas Fair 2025: Section 16A Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984
To avoid danger to the public, the following temporary restrictions will apply from 07.00hrs on Sunday 5th October until 09.00hrs on Wednesday 8th October 2025.
- The following roads will be closed to vehicles throughout the entirety of the fair:
High Street
Market Place
Ock Street
Stratton Way – from its junction with Bath Street to Ock Street
The Square
West St Helen Street – from its junction with High Street to Lombard Street.
From Sunday 5th October to Wednesday 8th October there will no vehicular access to the car park at the rear of Bury Street Shops accessed between NatWest Bank and Pablo Lounge. Delivery vehicles are also prohibited from accessing business / shops / properties along the High Street from Marketplace to Stratton way. Please ensure you have rearranged your delivery timings and schedules in accordance for the above closures.
Residents will be able to park at Vale of White Horse District Council West St Helens Street Car Park for free from 08:00 – 09:00 during the fair. Residents must display a permit holder badge (affected residents have been issued with these) during these times to ensure 1hrs free parking. (vehicle registrations will be checked)
Free 1hr parking is only permitted at the West St Helens Street car park.
Standard charges will apply at all other VWHDC carparks.
- For Health and Safety reasons, particularly with regard to the volume of pedestrians and especially very young children, Ock Street will, as usual, only be open to vehicles between 00.00hrs midnight and 12.00hrs noon daily and the access and exit point to the area will be via Conduit Road. Police, Fire and Ambulance vehicles will have access to all areas at all times.
- Temporary one-way traffic will be imposed in Lombard Street, the permitted direction being west to east.
- The usual one-way traffic flow across St Helen’s Wharf will be temporarily reversed to operate from east to west, except for cycles, which will be permitted to pass in either direction.
- Traffic heading into Abingdon from Culham will be directed down East St Helens Street and via St Helen’s Wharf. This will include large buses but articulated lorries will not be permitted to use this route. Parking, loading and stopping will therefore be restricted at the top of East St Helen’s Street.
- A temporary ‘No Waiting at Any Time’ restriction will be imposed on the following lengths of road in order to maintain access for emergency vehicles:
Bostock Road both sides, from its junction with Mullard Way to its junction with Victoria Road;
Edward Street north side, from its junction with Victoria Road to its junction with Spring Road;
Mullard Way both sides, for its entire length;
Victoria Road west side, from a point 40 metres north of its junction with Ock Street to its junction with Exbourne Road;
Spring Road west side, from a point 40 metres north of its junction with A415 Marcham Road to its junction with Faringdon Road.
In accordance with established practice, no through traffic is permitted.
Copies of the Temporary Traffic Order, which also includes the arrangements for alternative routes, will be displayed in the locality. A copy is available here: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/business/licences-and-permits/licences-and-permits/upcoming-public-events
Fair Opening Times
Abingdon Fair service will take place Sunday 6th October at 15:30 on the Market Place in front the of the carousel. The fair will open to the public from 16:00 to 21:00 Sunday 6th October and resume at noon Monday 7th October.
