Plan Your Visit

The Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair will be open at the following times:

Friday       10:00am to 4:30pm (lat entry at 4pm)

Saturday   10:00am to 4:30pm (last entry at 4pm)

Sunday     10:00am to 4:00pm (last entry at 3.30pm)

Access:

The buildings were built by the monks of Abingdon Abbey roughly eight hundred years ago and, because of their age and the importance of the delicate architecture, it presents challenges in providing modern access facilities.  Unfortunately there is no lift to the upper floors so access to approximately half of the stalls (East and West Checker, Long Gallery) is via steep staircases inside the building. The rest of the stalls are on the ground floor with ramp access.

How to Find Us

Your destination is Checker Walk off Abbey Close. Use OX14 3JD for driving (Abbey Close car park) and OX14 3JB if walking from the bus stop or a car park in the town.

Directions by car from North/Oxford/A34 Lodge Hill Junction: Head for Abingdon town centre and take the turn for Abbey Close at the traffic lights on the Vineyard. At busy periods the car parks ahead of you (Cattle Market and Civic) are easier to park in. From here walk through the park or into Abbey Close to get round the large redbrick council building ahead of you.

If you need to drop someone closer to the event entrance, take the right fork outside Waitrose, then follow Abbey Close around as it passes in front of the modern part of the Guildhall building and curves to the left down a narrow lane. Follow this to the end to find Abbey Close car park, park and walk the few yards back up the road to Checker Walk. The event entrance is just a few yards down Checker Walk.

Directions by car from South/Didcot/Newbury/A34 Marcham Interchange: From the Marcham Interchange follow signs to Abingdon town centre heading straight on at the double mini roundabouts until forced to turn left at the traffic lights onto Stratton Way. Turn right at the next set of lights into Stert Street. Thirty yards up Stert Street, take the right turn into Broad Street to find the multi-storey car park. From here walk up Stert Street towards the church tower and turn left at its base and pass under the large archway. Then keep straight ahead to walk down the narrow lane (Abbey Close) looking out for the turning into Checker Walk on the right. The event entrance is just a few yards down Checker Walk.

Directions by car from East/Wallingford/Benson/Stadhampton/M40: Approach Abingdon town centre on the A415 and use one of the car parks on either side of the road just before the bridge (Hales Meadow and Rye Farm). This will save having to go around the one way system and is only three minutes walk from the venue. From the car parks proceed over the bridge then straight ahead up Bridge Street until you reach the church tower and turn right to pass under the large archway. Then keep straight ahead to walk down the narrow lane (Abbey Close) looking out for the turning into Checker Walk on the right. The event entrance is just a few yards down Checker Walk.

There is also an even quicker walk by turning right into Thames Street, just after the bridge, walking almost to the end of the street, then passing through the narrow passage in the buildings on your left but please note there are steep steps and a very narrow passageway on this route.

By bus from Oxford: 20 minutes bus ride to Abingdon from the stop outside Christchurch on St Aldates. Arriving in Abingdon walk up the High Street past the Market Place then cross Bridge Street to pass under the archway next to the church tower. Then keep straight ahead to walk down the narrow lane (Abbey Close) looking out for the turning into Checker Walk on the right. The event entrance is just a few yards down Checker Walk. Approximately 5 minutes walk from bus stop.