FOR the past 3,000 years, some of the biggest characters in history have left their mark in Abingdon.

Now, a new company is offering visitors the chance to step back in time on a guided walk through its historic streets.

Kevin Thomson, a 59-year-old marketing specialist, registered Walk About Abingdon last year and set off on his first foray into the past on Monday.

Mr Thomson moved to Abingdon 22 years ago, but still views the town with visitors’ eyes.

He said: “I see it as a beautiful market town on the river Thames that is undersold.

“In the summer I will sit at Abingdon Lock in the sun for 10 just minutes thinking I am one of the luckiest men in the world.

“It is the jewel in the crown of the River Thames. We have got such a large amount of history, I thought ‘wouldn’t it be a great idea to share that?’”

Mr Thomson and his business partner Lynne Smith will charge about £12 for the tours which take 90 minutes.

Trips will start at the County Hall Museum, which Mr Thomson calls “the grandest town hall in Britain”.