New Abingdon Monk statue to appear soon near A34 interchange

A wooden monk could be seen for many years at the roundabout on the Marcham Road where drivers can access Abingdon Tesco Extra and Fairacres Retail Park.

But last year the statue was removed after it rotted and only a small Buddha statue was left in its place.

READ MORE: Roundabout Buddha looking lonely

Now a new monk statue has been created by Manchester-based wood carver Mike Burgess, and it is expected to be lowered into place over the Easter weekend.

The return of a monk to the roundabout was the idea of the St Swithuns Lodge of Abingdon Freemasons.

Kenny Moore, a member of the lodge, who has lived in the town for decades, said it was his idea to commission an artist to provide a replacement monk.

He said: “An artist called Mike Burgess from Manchester has created the new monk and the statue is ready and waiting at the moment in Sydenhams’ yard.

“It’s more than 6ft tall, and is solid oak, weighing 600kg.

“The statue cost about £2,000 – the lodge donated some money and there were some individual donations.

“The new monk – it’s an abbot – will be lifted into place on the roundabout over the Easter weekend.”

The new monk statue for Abingdon (Image: Kenny Moore)

For drivers entering the town from the A34 Marcham Interchange, the monk will once again be one of the first things they see.

The first monk statue was installed as part of an advertising campaign in 2002 and became a popular landmark for drivers heading for the A34, or arriving back in town after a break.

The wooden monk was a prominent reminder of an important element of the town’s Christian history – the large abbey which existed until Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in 1536.

Abingdon town mayor Rawda Jehanli (Image: Abingdon town council)

Town mayor Rawda Jenhanli said she was delighted a monk statue was returning to the roundabout as it would bring the “feelgood factor” and would be a symbol of unity.

She added: “The monk has been missed – it was one of the first things I saw when I first came to Abingdon.

“I’m pleased this community group has funded the the new statue and worked so hard to make this happen.

“I will be there at the roundabout on the date they decide to unveil the new statue.”

Last year, Alastair Fear, whose popular Abingdon Blog has reached its 20th anniversary, revealed the original wooden monk’s “final resting place” to be Boxhill Walk Woods.

The rotting monk after it collapsed (Image: Alastair Fear)

The first monk statue was created for a Britain in Bloom project, commissioned by the town council and sponsored by the Abbey Press. People used to dress it up for festive occasions.

Last year it emerged that the town’s historic Abbey Buildings have won a £4m restoration grant from the National Lottery.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant is expected to cover a substantial part of the cost of a once-in-a-generation improvement project.