A £826,000 project to restore an important part of Abingdon's heritage has entered its final phase.

The Abbey Grounds project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be completed with the restoration of the formal gardens, Abbey Close and Abbey Gateway.

Work to the formal garden will include new and restored paths, new planting, seats, steps, gates and trees.

A rose pergola will be added behind Old Abbey House and the foundations of the Abbey of St Mary will be marked out in stone.

A new footpath will link the formal gardens with the Abbey Close car park.

The Landscape Park will be closed until November to allow construction work to take place.

Abbey Meadows and the play area will be unaffected and people will be able to enter from Abbey Close.

In October work will begin to Abbey Close and Abbey Gateway including resurfacing and refurbishment of roads and footpaths.

During the work the areas may need to be closed to vehicles for a maximum of five days.

Vale of White Horse district councillor Tony de Vere, said: "Without the generous funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund this work would not be possible. By winning the funding the council has managed to carry out some important work to preserve a part of Abingdon's history."

Project work already completed includes a new play area in Abbey Meadows, improvements to the Abbey Close car park and restoration of the ornamental lake.

Over the summer, stone walls and gateways in the formal gardens have been restored. Work is ongoing on Trendell's Folly.