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

Bike touring routes & trails

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

Hard

5.0

(2)

riders

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

02:18

38.5km

90m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: September 9, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

North Wessex Downs National Landscape

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

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8.99 km

View of Wittenham Clumps from the North

Highlight • Viewpoint

10.5 km

Thatched Cottages of Long Wittenham

Highlight • Structure

15.8 km

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

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21.1 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.

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23.7 km

St Nicolas' Church, Abingdon

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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

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23.7 km

Abingdon Town Centre

Highlight • Cycleway

Stop for a coffee at Missing Bean

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30.0 km

Clifton Hampden High Street and Thatched Cottages

Highlight • Historical Site

Clifton Hampden is a picturesque little hamlet situated along the banks of the River Thames in Oxfordshire. The hamlet is characterised by its beautiful thatched cottages, riverside scenery, and its elegant six-arch road bridge that opened in 1867.

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