The three dimensional flow field for local scour at bridge abutments was measured in the laboratory using the hydrogen bubble technique. The results show that the flow structures are dominated by a large primary vortex and its associated downflow and that they are confined predominantly within the scour hole beneath the original bed level. The value of this paper is also in the large amount of data collected, which would be useful for the future development and calibration of numerical models of flow and scour at bridge abutments.