Abbey Gardens, Abingdon

The Abbey Gardens are near the town centre in Abingdon; our tourism leaflet for the Abbey Gardens is available from the Downloads section of the website.

They are designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument as the Abingdon Abbey, which dates back to the seventh century, once stood on the site.

The layout of the outer wall to the abbey is marked on the ground with stone blocks, and interpretation boards in the gardens give an impression of how the site would have looked when the abbey was there.

The gardens have two main areas; the formal garden area with flower beds, herbaceous borders, seating and an Italian walkway; and open parkland with a number of mature trees, an ornamental lake and a Folly that stands near a statue of Queen Victoria.

The lake is a haven for wildlife and is home to the nationally scarce water vole.

The Abbey Gardens offers visitors a quiet retreat where they can relax, enjoy the flower displays, explore the archaeology or take part in informal recreational activities.

The park also hosts a number of community events throughout the year such as the popular "Fun in the Park".

In July 2016, Abbey Gardens was judged one of the best parks in the country and it was awarded Green Flag status for the eighth year in a row. The Green Flag is a national award that recognises parks that are well maintained and managed with excellent facilities. The gardens first scooped the Green Flag Award in 2009 following a five-year restoration project to transform the site to the way it looked in its Victorian heyday.

Access to the gardens is easy for visitors using most forms of transport. The national Sustrans cycle route passes alongside the gardens, bus routes are within easy walking distance and car parks are provided by both main entrances (Cattlemarket car park and Abbey Close car park) . Access within the gardens is available to all via a network of gravel paths.  The park's postcode is OX14 3JE.

The River Thames which is also only a short walk away provides the opportunity for boat users to stop and visit the gardens.