Oxford to Dorchester-on-Thames by bike 17 September

The busy and beautiful Sandford Lock.

 

Morning tea was at the Kings Arms over looking the Lock.

 

 

Very excited to ride through Radley, even though their sign needs a bit of a clean up.

 

 

Here comes Bill.

Meg.

Merilyn.

 

 

The Abingdon Weir. Because there has been a fair bit of rain in recent weeks, the River Thames is flowing ferociously over the weir.

 

 

Abingdon is one of Britai's oldest continuously occupied town. This is the County Hall and market place. It was also home to the famous rock band Radiohead.

 

Gates into the Abbey.

Scary gargoyles abound.

 

 

The remains of the Benedictine Abbey, founded in AD675. It was the most splendid monastic establishment in Europe with a circumference of three miles. This was until Henry VIII decided to demolish it and its finest materials were re-used in his own building projects.

The Abbey grounds have beautiful gardens.

Presided over by Queen Victoria. Very popular woman hereabouts. 

Lovely flower displays decorate the fencing around the River Thames.

The Abingdon Long Alley almshouses have a distinctive cloistered walk. The building was constructed in 1446-7 by the Fraternity of the Holy Cross, a medieval religious guild, for needy people.

 

All Saints' Church at Sutton Courtenay is a mixture of Norman and Medieval architecture.

Inside All Saints' Church.

The graveyard contains George Orwell, buried under his real name, Eric Arthur Blair. Also buried here is Prime Minister Henry Herbert Asquith.

I

One of the Wittenham Clumps, wooded chalk hills. The summits have the oldest beech tree plantings in England, dating to the 1740's.

Our destination that night was the George Hotel at Dorchester on Thames. As distinct from Thomas Hardy's Dorchester in Dorset. 

View of the Dorchester Cathedral and lych gate from our room.

Imagine our surprise when we discovered an old friend of Bill's, John Lovett, was staying in the same hotel as we were in this small village.

We all had dinner together at the Fleur de Lys.