I hear that the first people moved into the Old Gaol a week or so ago. You can see that there are now rising bollards to control access to the underground carpark
The Old Gaol website says “Providing superb contemporary accommodation alongside a café and restaurant quarter – the first of its kind in Abingdon – the Old Gaol will remain very much in the hearts and lives of Abingdon’s residents as well as those lucky enough to live in the new development itself.”
We hope they enjoy living in Abingdon and don’t only get to visit the shopping centres listed on the Old Gaol website, namely
Bicester Village and Swindon Designer Outlet.
lol – imagine expecting a quick stroll to swindon from your prison home.
whenever i visited the old gaol as a kid i was intrigued by the mystery spiral staircase with a no entry sign but an open door, the higher you got the shakier it got and the thicker the pigeon poo got – i always wimped out before getting near the top – what mystery treasure might have awaited me there…..
Rudi – if you’d got to the top you’d have found the gym. I used to go there but was knackered by the time I got there! There was also a lovely rooftop view from the jacuzzi…
Back to the present – lets hope that these early residents will lean on Cranbourne to get on with opening up the promised “restaurant quarter” – then the rest of us can get back in to the public areas as promised.
I recently recieved a very glossy four page sales brouchure about the Old Gaol. Interestingly, it made NO MENTION of the restuarant (none whatsoever) which makes me kind of twitchy about whether they will come good on their promises. It would be great if someone could clarify when this will happen and whether it is all as per the original plans.