Arts & Culture - Abingdon on Thames Town Council

The Little Basement Museum

The Little Basement Museum is a historical hidden gem of the town and is located at No. 4 E St Helen Street, one of the oldest streets in Abingdon.

Visitors can now book and explore the treasures hidden beneath the property ONLY on Thursdays between 11am and 2pm.

Tour limit 6 persons at a time. Max 30 minute visit. Children over 12 only.

Suggested donation £2 per adult £1 child 12-16 yrs.

Please book your time slot in advance on Eventbrite https://littlebasementmuseumvisits.eventbrite.com

or call the Museum at 01235 523703 and we will book it for you.

Please come at Abingdon Museum’s main reception 10 minutes before the tour starts.

LBM Disclaimer

The Little Basement Museum is accessed via a narrow corridor and a set of steep and narrow steps. Visitors must be fit and comfortable with those features and take responsibility for their own safety. Children must be over12 years old and supervised by a parent or guardian. Appropriate footwear and clothing is recommended. There are no facilities on site, and we recommend using the Museum facilities before you go.

The route to the LBM is via a historic street and house which add to its unique character, but it means uneven pavement and narrow passages. The visit lasts no more than 30 minutes, make sure you are comfortable walking and standing for that length of time as there is no seating on site. If there’s any activity you are unable to do or if you have a concern, please contact us before booking. If you have any medical conditions or injuries that may affect your mobility, please let the organisers know before the start of the visit and if you feel unwell during the visit please let your guide know.

The lighting levels are quite low, and interpretation accessibility is limited. We are working to improve this in time.

Standard Disclaimer

Your participation in the LBM tour is at your own risk and we shall not be held liable under any circumstances for any matter arising out of your participation. We accept no responsibility or liability for loss or injury (other than for matters for which we are not legally able to exclude or limit liability). We have public liability insurance.

Abingdon Town Council crest with grey background

Abbey Hall – Press Release

The Town Council needs to conduct a survey of the Abbey Hall roof. The Abbey cinema will be closed from Wednesday 2nd October to Tuesday 15th October inclusive. The Council greatly regrets any inconvenience that this closure will cause Abingdon residents.

A new donation to Abingdon Museum: The Abingdon Silver Group’s Silver Plaque

This month the Abingdon Silver Group presented Abingdon Museum with a sterling silver plaque bearing their own mark, made with two punches in different sizes.

The Abingdon Silver Group was formed in 1989 as a follow-on from silversmithing evening classes. They are currently based at John Mason School and offer a work environment, specialist tools, advice and tuition to members. In 2021, the Group decided it should have its own mark for members to stamp their work with. The design incorporates the cross and shield from the Abingdon Town Crest, the letters “a s g” for Abingdon Silver Group, and a crescent moon, an alchemical symbol for silver.

The silver plaque is currently on display in the foyer of the Museum, in celebration of the continuing tradition of quality craftsmanship in Abingdon and the strong link between the Group and the Town, expressed in the design of the mark.

Tour of Ancient Abingdon

SUNDAY 1st MAY 2022

Join local archaeologist Jeff Wallis for a walk and discover the traces of ancient settlements, such as an early Bronze Age barrow cemetery at Barrow Hills in North Abingdon. Jeff is a silversmith with an archaeological and palaeontology background. He focuses on ancient Abingdon and points out key markers in the landscape that give clues to its history.
You might be surprised at the hidden archaeology nearby!

Booking Information: Tickets are available at the Museum Reception. Booking is essential as there are only 10 places available.

CONTACT US ~ Telephone : 01235 523703
email : abingdon.museum@abingdon.gov.uk

Celebrate the Platinum Jubilee at the Meadow Festival – NOW FREE FOR EVERYONE

A new light on the Abingdon Ichthyosaur

The specimen was discovered in a local gravel pit at Oday Hill in 1988 and its current display has been possible thanks to the conservation and curatorial staff of the Oxford University Natural History Museum.

The next time you will be able to see the so called ‘Abingdon Ichthyosaur’ you will notice a change in its display.
This week researchers from the University of Portsmouth visited Abingdon Museum to have a look at the Abingdon Ichthyosaur in the Attic Gallery.
A close look at the specimen with measurements and photographs revealed that some of the bones had been misidentified and wrongly placed. Scrutiny of the jaw bones revealed an interesting pathology with several bite marks, tooth marks and evidence of healing. This preliminary study resulted in a change to the layout of the ichthyosaur skeleton, which now better reflects the shape of the animal.
The study is still ongoing but it illustrates that the Abingdon Ichthyosaur is an important local discovery and we are still learning a lot about this specimen.

We will share more information about this research in the upcoming months.

Sad news regarding the cancellation of the 2020 Michaelmas and Runaway Fairs

The Abingdon Michaelmas and Runaway Fairs will not take place this year. The difficult decision to cancel was taken by Abingdon Town Council after much deliberation at a Council meeting last night (9^th September 2020).

Working closely with the organisers, Bob Wilson Funfairs Ltd, in consultation with the Showmen’s Guild; and taking advice from other regulatory bodies, concerns remain about the impact the fair could have on the town, given the anticipated size of the crowd and the risk that poses to public health.

The disappointing news follows in the wake of the recent cancellation of St Giles’ Fair in Oxford, Witney Feast and the Thame Fair.

Abingdon Town Council would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts in trying to find a way to allow the Fairs to go ahead and looks forward to working together next year for successful outcome for 2021.

The Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Charlie Birks, said: “It is frustrating that in such an unsettling and unpredictable time, our much loved and historic autumn fairs such have been added to the list of events cancelled this year but protecting large numbers of people in open spaces is challenging and complex, even when there is no pandemic to take into account. We know that the situation regarding the pandemic is ever changing, with the government announcing further restrictions yesterday. We are deeply disappointed to have to cancel the Fairs, it is a blow for the town and for the showmen whose livelihoods have suffered so much. All parties worked hard to see if the Fairs could proceed but we have come to the reluctant conclusion that we had to cancel this year. We hope the Fairs return to their rightful place in our town’s life in 2021.”

Notes for editors:

The Abingdon Michaelmas and Runaway Fairs are hiring (or “mop”) fairs which have their origins in the labour problems which prevailed after the Black Death pandemic of 1348/9.
The right to hold the Fairs is now consolidated in the Oxfordshire Act 1985 where it is stated in section 38 that “subject to the provisions of this section, the Town Council shall continue to hold the fairs customarily held in the town at the commencement of this Act” and this includes the Michaelmas Fair (or Hiring Fair) on the Monday falling first before 11^th October and on the following Tuesday and the Runaway Fair on the Monday next following the Michaelmas Fair.
This year the relevant dates would have been: Michaelmas Fair 5^th and 6^th October and Runaway Fair 12^th October 2020.
The requirement to hold the Fairs is contained in local legislation. However this legislation is itself subject to the overarching requirements of primary (national) legislation , pertinent in this case being public health requirements and the Coronavirus Act 2020.
The last time the Fairs were cancelled was during the Second World War, 1939 to 1945.

Issued by the Town Clerk, 10th September 2020.

Abingdon Museum Blog

We are pleased to announce the launch of the museum’s Blog!
The first blog post will be published on 8th May 2020, as a contribution of the museum to mark VEDay75.
The new blog section will be updated often and available on the menu bar located on the left side of the Museum Homepage.

Museum Family Indoor Activities

On this page you’ll find activities, games and quizzes for all the family.

MUSEUM JIGSAWS

Try out our our online museum jigsaw puzzles featuring photos from our museum collection and views here: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/AbingdonMuseum

MUSEUM CROSSWORDS

Test your knowledge with some mixed crossword created by our museum volunteer Bob!

Crossword no.1 (download the PDF here) – Check the answers.
Crossword no.2 (download the PDF here) – Check the answers.
Crossword no.3 (download the PDF here) – Check the answers.

A Crossword on the Museum’s collection.
Download the printable PDF version here.
Check the answers.

Abingdon Museum Crafting Crew

Abingdon Museum’s crafting crew creates live sessions for children to make art & fun objects from recycling and bits and bobs around the house. You can view their craft video sessions following this link: https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/abingdon-museum-youtube-channel

Christmas Craft for Adults

2D Christmas Tree – a fun Christmas craft project for adults from leftover wrapping paper.

Click the image below, follow step by step instructions and have fun creating your own artwork!

Christmas Craft

This year Abingdon Museum Crafting Crew can’t be at the museum doing Christmas Craft with you all as usual.
However, this year we are all getting used to new ways of doing things and so here are some Christmas Craft ideas for you to try at home.
Click the image below, follow the instructions and have fun creating your own artwork!

October Half-term Actvity: Aboriginal Art
Abingdon Museum Crafting Crew has put together a new craft activity to try at home during October Half-term. Each one has a name, a picture, a list of items you’ll need and some instructions. Click the image below, follow the instructions and have fun creating your own artwork!

It would be great if you could send in photos of any Artwork of yours and we can put them onto the museum website!

MUSEUM QUIZ

Ready to test your knowledge?
This quiz is about the Bun Throwing celebrations! Download the printable PDF version here.

COLOURING ACTIVITY

We’ve uploaded some colouring sheets, have fun colouring the museum and its collection.
Download the printable PDF version here.

If you like to find out more about the objects visit our collection online here https://ehive.com/collections/4128/abingdon-county-hall-museum

Mr Hemmings Hat and other curiosities

Celebrating 100 Years of Abingdon’s Museum Collections

2020 marks the centenary of the formation of the first museum committee. Come and find out out who began the museum and how it has developed through the years.
Why do we collect certain things and others?
What is the strangest object we have?

Location: Sessions Gallery, Abingdon Museum

Time: 10am – 4pm Tuesday – Sunday

Admission: Free

Plan your visit: This gallery is located on the museum’s first floor up 37 steps and is not lift accessible.