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Nov 10, 2023

Abingdon historian immortalised in steel bench portrait

A new bench has been unveiled along a national cycle route as part of a drive by the community to immortalise local heroes in steel portraits. National cycle network route five, at Abbey Meadows in

A new bench has been unveiled along a national cycle route as part of a drive by the community to immortalise local heroes in steel portraits.

National cycle network route five, at Abbey Meadows in Abingdon, has been lined with steel portraits of ‘local heroes’ chosen by the community for their contribution to the town’s past, present and future.

The initiative was started by Sustrans, a national active travel charity and custodian of the national cycle network.

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The Abingdon public were invited to have their say on who they believe has made a positive impact, and selected local historian Mieneke Cox.

This latest sculpture is part of a series of sculptures installed across the network in recognition of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee year.

Ms Cox studied history in the Netherlands before moving to Abingdon in 1958.

She was honorary curator of Abingdon Museum and a member of Abingdon Area Archaeology and History Society.

Her research into local archives helped her create inspirational lectures and books on Abingdon. In 1997, she was presented with the Mayor’s Award for her contributions.

Speaking about the portrait, Pieter Cox, Ms Cox’s son, said: "Mieneke loved telling historic stories, whether in lectures, her books or to groups of schoolchildren in the museum that she curated.

“She loved digging into the day-to-day activities of her characters, such as where the monks brewed their beer, as well as the larger picture of her beloved, adopted, town.

“She would be thrilled to be here, where weary cyclists and walkers can rest their weary bottoms and legs on their journey, and I'm delighted that three generations of her family are here today to witness the unveiling of this lovely work of art."

Another portrait represents the many local volunteers and community group members active in Abingdon, looking after the local environment for everyone to enjoy.

They give their time to take local action and tackle the challenges presented by the climate emergency through simple daily acts.

Speaking about the portrait representing local volunteering, Robin Tucker, member of Abingdon Liveable Streets, Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel, and Sustrans Volunteer, said: “It’s great that Sustrans is celebrating the efforts of local volunteers and community group members with this statue.

“Now more than ever, we need to pull together to tackle the climate emergency and public health challenges, and people in and around Abingdon are a great example of how that happens across the country.

“Our local walking, wheeling and cycling tracks are important to us, and volunteers have been clearing paths from vegetation, repainting signposts, and planning better routes for the future.”

This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: [email protected]

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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