Barnardo’s legacy in Abingdon

Barnardos legacy
I don’t know why Barnardo’s don’t get a mention on the information boards, but I have read that in 1974 Bardardo’s gave a strip of land at the town end to Abingdon Town Council to help create the Ock Valley Walk. The Vale District Council owned the adjoining land which allowed the footpath we now know from St Helen’s Court to Drayton Road.
Barnardos legacy
Caldecott House was a Dr Barnardo’s home, housing about 35 boys and girls between 1952 and 1971, and about 35 boys from 1945 to 1952 so the strip of land was left over after the sale of the house, which was demolished to create the St Amand Drive Estate.
Barnardos legacy
Barnardo’s still have a Charity Shop in Abingdon at Peachcroft; and run after school and holiday clubs at Kingfisher School. They could also still run the Summerfield Resource Centre on the Wootton Road.

2 thoughts on “Barnardo’s legacy in Abingdon

  1. ant

    There are some memories online written the Barnardos kids, but few of them mention the Wilderness, a moated area to the west of the former Caldecott House – and which can (just) be seen from the Ock Valley Walk. If any readers of this do have stories it would be great to see them, please.

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  2. Tommy Muir

    I was in the home from 1953 until 1966 we used the wilderness to play cowboys and Indians we used to make bows and arrows from the bamboo that was growing in the wilderness one boy lost his eye and that was the end Of the bows and arrows there was also a moat around the perimeter in the winter it had water and fish in it and in the summer it was just smelly mud. The wilderness was an exciting place for a boy growing up

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