At the library there is a small display showing the Longworth Factory that opened on the Radley Road in 1960 to make scientific instruments. The board tells a little of the history of Longworth, from when they made ironing boards in the ex-Abingdon Carpet Factory. Longworth are now known as Penlon.
On the way to the library, I passed an MG, Made in Abingdon…
a bollard, probably made in Ballard’s Foundry in Abingdon …
and some pottery, Made in Abingdon, in the window of Added Ingredients.
Bob Frampton will soon have a new book out called ‘Made in Abingdon’ about MGs. The museum always has a number of artifacts Made in Abingdon. And on Heritage Open Day, on the weekend of 9th-10th September, we hope to have pictures and walks about things Made in Abingdon, and the places they were made. So I would love it if people could send any pictures they have on the theme ‘Made in Abingdon’ to backstreet60@gmail.com .
While they weren’t made Abingdon, The big [3 litre] Austin Healey cars were assembled here. A considerably different beast and now selling for eye-watering money.
I like Ballard’s bollard – very alliterative, quite bowls me over….
I don’t have any photographs that I have taken myself but some of the bridges on the M4 were made at Cowley Concrete on the Radley Road . Google “Cowley concrete m4” and you get a geeky site on motorways http://motorwayarchive.ihtservices.co.uk/en/motorways/motorway-listing/m4/m4-chiswick-to-slough-bypass-j1-to-j5/index.cfm
Under Wellesley Rd bridge, third paragraph you will see the reference to Cowley concrete. I live on the estate now occupying the site and my neighbour told me there is a large part of a discarded motorway bridge still buried in his garden. I have hit smaller but significant concrete when digging in my garden.
Seeing that Ballard’s bollard reminds me of the one that used to be in the footpath in Saint Edmunds Lane, does anyone know what happened to that.
Badger, it is that one !
Ck2 – Ah! Must try to keep up. I imagined someone had cashed it in as scrap metal. Glad it’s still with us.