Abingdon

While visiting Oxford, we stayed in a town called Abingdon, about a 15 minute drive south of Oxford. If visiting Oxford, we highly recommend staying outside the city a bit (much easier for parking), and it was easy to get into Oxford (it was a 15 minute bus ride from the center of town).

 We spent the night in an idyllic hotel called the Upper Reaches, located on the Thames.

The Upper Reaches along the Thames

Because they are so beautiful

The view from our room, the Bridal Suite (not quite sure how we ended up in it, but it was great-- a full suite!)

 The four poster bed in our room.  Sorry the bed is unmade... had to share.

Just outside the hotel was a walking path along the Thames. It wound along the river, taking us to a lock that was manually controlled. It was amazing to watch the lock in action, and it was a beautiful walk.

The Thames

The manually operated Abingdon Lock

Swan

The trees in England are beautiful. My favorite are the tall whispy trees in the background. Does anyone (Ron?) know what they are?

Boats along the Thames. Charters and private houseboats.

Abingdon also has ruins from a medieval abbey that King Henry VIII demanded be dismantled after the creation of the Church of England. The ruins are still rather intact, and the gardens are beautiful.

This way to the Abbey

Statue of Queen Victoria in the Abbey Gardens

The Gardens

The Abbey Ruins

The Abbey Ruins

The Abbey Ruins