Banbury, and the villages nearby, are popular for weekend breaks to explore the Oxfordshire countryside and the Cotswolds.
Banbury is a historic market town famous for Banbury Cakes, the Nursery Rhyme “…….to Banbury Cross” and the Oxford Canal that passes through the historic market town.
Places to Visit
Banbury Museum
Banburys Museum is situated in an attractive canal-side location in the centre of Banbury. Exciting modern displays illustrate Banburys history. FREE ADMISSION
Tooley’s Boatyard
Tooley’s, the oldest working dry dock in Britain, has been in continuous use since 1790 when it was established to build and repair the wooden horse-drawn narrowboats.
Broughton Castle
Historic House built in 1300 and enlarged in 1550s. It is surrounded by a large moat and set in parkland
Local Arts & Crafts – Hook Norton Pottery
Hand produced stoneware pottery. The showroom exhibits a wide variety of work including casseroles, mugs, jugs, bowls as well as individual pieces.
For more Tourist Information: www.visitnorthoxfordshire.com
History
Banbury Castle was built from 1135 by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, and survived into the Civil War, when it was besieged. Due to its proximity to Oxford, the King’s capital, Banbury was a Royalist town, but the inhabitants were known to be strongly Puritan. The castle was demolished after the war.
Banbury played an important part in the Civil War as a base of operations for Oliver Cromwell.
The opening of the Oxford Canal from Hawkesbury Junction to Banbury on 30 March 1778 gave the town a cheap and reliable supply of Warwickshire coal. In 1787 the Oxford Canal was extended southwards, finally opening to Oxford on 1 January 1790.