River Thames in Abingdon – St Helen's Church, Abingdon loop from Drayton

Running trails & routes

River Thames in Abingdon – St Helen's Church, Abingdon loop from Drayton

Hard

runners

River Thames in Abingdon – St Helen's Church, Abingdon loop from Drayton

02:18

22.1km

60m

Running

Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 23, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

4.74 km

River Thames in Abingdon

Highlight • River

A pretty market town on the banks of the River Thames, Abingdon has a rich history. The town would once have been an Iron Age fort, becoming an agricultural centre in the 13th and 14th century. After surviving the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century, the town went on to become a major force in the Industrial Revolution, linking London with Bristol, Birmingham and the Black Country.

Today, the pretty town has plenty of interesting places to visit where you can learn about this history first-hand. There's also a good selection of cafes, pubs, restaurants and shops.

Tip by

4.78 km

St Helen's Wharf, Abingdon-on-Thames

Highlight • Viewpoint

St Helen's Church is a 12th century building and iconic landmark located in Abingdon. It has stunning Gothic and Norman style architecture featuring stained-glass windows, intricate woodwork, and a striking medieval rood screen.

Tip by

4.86 km

St Helen's Church, Abingdon

Highlight • Monument

St Helen's Church is a Church of England parish church in Abingdon on the bank of the River Thames in Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire), England.
The church is thought to occupy the site of the Anglo-Saxon Helenstowe Nunnery.

The church spire is a landmark of the town. The earliest parts of the church are late 12th- or early 13th-century. Some of the windows are 14th-century and the building was remodelled in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The building was restored in 1869–73 to plans by the Gothic Revival architect Henry Woodyer. Of note within the church are the painted ceiling panels of the north aisle, dating from about 1390 and representing the Tree of Jesse. The church is a Grade I listed building.

Around the churchyard are three sets of almshouses: Long Alley Almshouses built in 1446, Twitty's Almshouses of 1707 and Brick Alley Almshouses of 1718. The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner declared "No other churchyard anywhere has anything like it."

Cit. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Helen%27s_Church,_Abingdon

Tip by

5.16 km

Abingdon County Hall Museum

Highlight • Historical Site

Abingdon County Hall has dominated the Market Place, in the heart of Abingdon, since the late 17th century.

[...]

Constructed between 1678 and 1682, the old town hall has the typical combination for the period of a market space sheltering under a courtroom. Examples of this type of building that are earlier in date survive elsewhere as timber-framed free-standing town halls.

Abingdon gains architectural distinction, however, from being built in Oxfordshire limestone; it is a monumental presence despite its compact site.

[...]

Sir Christopher Wren is the most celebrated architect of this period working in this idiom, and in the 1670s he was busy on the designs for rebuilding St Paul’s Cathedral. It has been suggested that Abingdon County Hall was one of his designs, and it was certainly constructed by two men he respected and worked with closely: Christopher Kempster, master mason, and John Scarborough, clerk of works.

Cit. english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/abingdon-county-hall-museum/history

Tip by

5.26 km

Abingdon Town Centre

Highlight • Cycleway

Stop for a coffee at Missing Bean

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5.29 km

St Nicolas' Church, Abingdon

Highlight • Other

The Church of Saint Nicolas is a Church of England parish church in Abingdon in the English county of Oxfordshire (formerly within Berkshire).

The church was added to the gateway of the already-existing Benedictine Abbey of Saint Mary around the year 1170, although the oldest remaining piece is reportedly from 1180.
While the monks used the abbey church, St Nicolas's was built for their lay servants and tenants.

The Normans propagated the cult of Saint Nicholas and many English churches are named after him.

The earliest documentary evidence of this church's existence is in a ruling about tithes in 1177 by Pope Alexander III. Saint Edmund of Abingdon worshipped there as a child and his mother was initially buried there. From its early years, there is evidence that a school used a room in St Nicolas which has links with the founding of Abingdon School.
A tower was added and the chancel rebuilt in the 15th century.

Cit. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nicolas_Church,_Abingdon

Tip by

5.59 km

Abbey Gardens

Highlight • Natural

Beautiful public park

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13.9 km

Ock Valley River Walk

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

The Ock Valley River Walk is a green belt and footpath that stretches from the centre of Abingdon to the outskirts of town. It's the perfect place to escape into nature and get some fresh air.

Tip by

22.1 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types