Category Archives: Abingdon

Old Anchor has reopened

The Anchor on the Wharf in Abingdon, reopened this evening. It had been closed for just over a month since 10th March when the previous tenants overstretched themselves trying to run the Broad Face at the same time.

The pub is very similar to how it was before it closed, with 5 real ales (Morland Original, Old Speckled Hen, London Glory, Timothy Taylors, Al Fresco). The ones I tried (Timmy Taylors and Al Fresco) were in good condition. The Moose’s head over the bar has gone.

The blackboards are advertising Tapas food, which I hope to try out next week.

This pub is a great asset to Abingdon with its picture postcard view over the Thames and location in the historic part of Abingdon near St. Helens Church. I hope that the new tenants can build on the good work done in recent years at the Anchor, that local Abingdonians will be supportive and proud of the great pubs we now have in Abingdon.

Abingdon is becoming a top place in the county for good pubs: We saw the Nags Head on the Bridge reopen last autumn with an amazing selection of eight well kept ales, good food, wine and a program of live music. The Broad Face reopened with a top Swiss chef. The Brewery Tap was awarded town & country pub of the year by the Oxford branch of the Campaign for Real Ale and always has good ales, good food, quarterly beer festivals and live music events. The Cross Keys recently had a beer festival with an excellent range of beers and ciders, and has a regular program of live music. The Kings Head & Bell has 4 real ales that change every few days, hosts a monday night music session and many events in the King Charles’s function room. Other pubs worth visiting include the Punch Bowl, Spread Eagle, Stocks Bar (at the Crown & Thistle), the Harp on Stert Street (which often has Loose Cannon beers), the White Horse, Wagon & Horses and Railway Inn near Culham and the Prince of Wales in Shippon which has a large selection of real ales, ciders and events.

On a negative side, Greene King have rcently been applying for planning permission to change many of the distinctive Abingdon pub signs into more corporate Greene King branded signs, with some pubs already having their signs changed. The most alarming ones are The White Horse on Ock Street and the Broad Face. Both of these pubs are very visible high profile pubs in Abingdon with historic significance and it would be a shame for them to lose their individual pub signs. Please check out the district council planning permission web site and leave a comment there with your opinions.

White Horse planning applications: P12/V2476/A and P12/V2477/LB
Broad Face applications: P13/V0429/LB and P13/V0428/A

April 19, 2013Permalink 10 Comments

Diary of Live Music in Abingdon

There are a lot of live music events in Abingdon, many of them in pubs, but also others at places such as the Guildhall, Unicorn Theatre and the Amey Theatre at Abingdon School.

Many of these events are only advertised within the pub itself on noticeboards or blackboards, or by following every pub on facebook or twitter. Most people in Abingdon don’t visit pubs regularly or follow every pub on social media so have no idea that most of these events are happening. To help with this, I have created a shared Google calendar to show these events. You can access it by clicking Live Music Diary at the top of this page. I have only just started adding events, so not all events are listed yet.

I will endeavour to visit pubs, look at web sites, facebook and twitter and try to find out what is going on to keep it up to date, but it will be easier if the pubs, bands or organisers can email details to me at info@abingdonbeer.co.uk.

Abingdon is full of talented musicians including world renowned jazz Saxophonist George Haslam who leads the Abingdon Swingtime Band (who can be seen at the Brewery Tap‘s beer festival on 24th March); homegrown talent Adam Matthews singer/songwriter/guitarist and member of Abingdon band Full Circle (will be performing covers and some of his own material at the Nags Head on 12th April). Other local bands include The Happy Men, and Nameless. Jon Spiers from Spiers & Boden and BBC2 folk award winning band Bellowhead who’s last album was number 1 in the UK independent charts and number 16 in the overall UK charts, was brought up in Abingdon and went to school at John Masons (you just missed Bellowhead performing in Oxford a few weeks ago). Folk at the Unicorn brings in some of the UK’s top folk performers to Abingdon. If you want to take part in the music, there are open mic sessions at several pubs including an acoustic session at the Kings Head & Bell every monday evening, and the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers and friends often have sessions in local pubs where they welcome other musicians to join in. The Skittle Alley has evenings of local bands and is so named because it started out using the Skittle Alley at the back of the Horse & Jockey pub in Bath Street, but kept its name after the pub closed in 2002, their next event is at the Royal British Legion Club in Spring Road on 16th March.

Pubs that have regular live music events include:

Apologies if I have missed anyone out.

Also check out ‘The Local’ on Abingdon’s own internet radio station Abingdon Xtra, which showcases local unsigned Oxfordshire bands.

March 10, 2013Permalink 3 Comments

Abingdon Rugby Octofest

Abingdon RUFC (Oxfordshire’s finest Ruby Club) is holding a festival to celebrate 80 years of Abingdon rugby this Saturday 12th May 2012. The day includes mini, junior and senior rugby events, live music and a beer festival of local ales including Loose Cannon’s latest arrival ‘Bombshell’.

The day starts at 10am and will continue late into the night at Abingdon RFC, Lambrick Way (off Preston way), Abingdon. Click here for a map and directions.

For a full schedule see their website at www.abingdonrufc.co.uk/whats-on/486-octofest-timetable-sat-12th-may

May 11, 2012Permalink Leave a comment

Beer Festivals this weekend (May bank holiday) around Abingdon

This weekend (May bank holiday 5th-7th May) there are two beer festivals near to Abingdon, as well as morris dancing in town on Saturday.

Waggon and Horses, Culham


This is their first beer festival since the pub reopened last year. It is about 2 miles from Abingdon, which is a short cycle ride and not too far to walk and also has a car park. The beer list is:

  • Village Idiot 4.1%
  • Hi Ho Silver 4.3%
  • Zebedee 4.7%
  • Abandon Ship 4.2%
  • Oxford Scholar 4.5%
  • Cotswold Lion 4.2%
  • Broke Piston 5%
  • Adnams Southwold Bitter 3.7%
  • Black Sheep Bitter 3.8%
  • Hook Norton Bitter 3.6%
  • Smuggler 4.1%
  • Abingdon Bridge 3.6%

On Saturday there is music from the Dirty Earth Band in the evening.
On Sunday music from The Bembos in the afternoon and The Headington Hillbillies in the evening.
On Monday, music form Sub-Way in the afternoon.

Prince of Wales, Shippon


Another great pub within walking or cycling distance from Abingdon is having their 2nd beer festival between 4th and 6th of May with 20 ales from within a 30 mile radius of the pub and 10 ciders. Festival starts at 5pm on Friday

There is also morris dancing there this evening (thursday 3rd May) with Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers and Speckled Hen.

Mr. Hemmings Day of Dance


Mr. Hemmings Traditional Abingdon Morris dancers along with 7 visiting morris sides will be dancing in Abingdon this Saturday (5th May). This is an annual event celebrating the birthday of Tom Hemmings who was a prominent Abingdon Morris dancer in the early 20th century.

Dancing starts at the White Horse at 10:30am, working down Ock Street to Cross Keys and then into the town center where dancing will take place on the market place and outside town center pubs (Swan, Kings Head & Bell, Punch Bowl, Harp (former Plough on Station Yard).

May 3, 2012Permalink Leave a comment

Brewery Tap Beer Festival Preview

We are now into beer festival season in Abingdon on Thames. Last weekend we enjoyed The Cross Keys beer festival, where the first drink to sell out was Bristol Port Cider, and next week The Broad Face has a beer and music festival (6th-8th April). However this weekend sees probably the largest beer festival ever held in Abingdon on Thames. The Brewery Tap’s Spring Beer and Cider (and pies and music) festival.

There are several beers here never before seen in Abingdon on Thames, including the launch of Abingdon’s Loose Cannon Brewery’s Blonde ale; three new beers from The recently opened Aylesbury Brewhouse and the launch of XT Brewery’s Number 6. The complete list of ales and ciders along with tasting notes can be found here.

There will live music from Rascals of Rythmn on Friday evening, Big Blues Band on Saturday and George Haslam’s Swingtime band on Sunday at 5pm.

The Festival runs from Friday March 25th to Sunday March 27th.

March 21, 2012Permalink Leave a comment