DISCOVER BANBURY
Banbury is a market town located on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England. Banbury is part of, and the largest town in, the Cherwell district. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area, which is predominantly rural.
Banbury has a shopping centre called Castle Quay, which is one of the largest in the region with over 70 shops and cafes.
Banbury's main industries include car components, electrical goods, plastics, food processing, and printing. Banbury is home to the world's largest coffee-producing facility (Kraft Foods Banbury), built in 1964. The town is famed for Banbury cakes – similar to Eccles cakes but oval in shape.
Since July 2000, Banbury has hosted a unique gathering of traditional mock animals, from around the UK and beyond, at the annual Banbury Hobby Horse Festival.
The surrounding area is known informally by some as Banburyshire and covers the north half of the Cherwell district and neighbouring areas. It has one of fastest growing populations in the country. As Banbury lies near to the Oxfordshire border, "Banburyshire" includes parts of Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. Banbury is considered the commercial centre of the northern half of Oxfordshire.
Every Thursday and Saturday, a market is held in the market place, as well as a farmers' market on the first Friday of every month.
 HISTORY OF BANBURY
During excavations for the building of an office in Hennef Way in 2002, the remains of an Iron Age settlement with circular buildings, dating back to 200 AD were found. The site contained around 150 pieces of pottery and stone. Later, there was a Roman villa at nearby Wykham Park.
Banbury itself developed in the Anglo-Saxon period under strong Danish influence, starting in the latter half of the fifth century. The name Banbury may have derived from "Banna", a Saxon chieftain said to have built his stockade there in the sixth century - "bury" meaning settlement, a Saxon spelling of Banesbyrig. The name appears as "Banesberie" in the Domesday Book.
The Saxons built Banbury on the west bank of the River Cherwell. On the opposite bank they built Grimsbury, which was later incorporated into Banbury.
Banbury stands at the junction of two ancient roads: Salt Way (still used as a bridle path to the west and south of the town), its primary use being the transportation of salt; and Banbury Lane, which began near Northampton and closely followed the modern 22-mile-long road before running through Banbury's High Street and on towards the Fosse Way at Stow-on-the-Wold. Banbury's mediaeval prosperity was based on wool.
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, who purportedly planned the Battle of Edge Hill in the back room (which can still be visited) of a local inn, The Reindeer, a noted hostelry to this day.
For centuries, trading in wool, ale, cakes and cheese created wealth for the town. Wool was first referred to in the year 1268, and cheese was manufactured from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Communications have always played a major role in the town's prosperity and prevented it from being just a quiet rural market town. It was a notable stagecoach stop and both the Red Lion and White Lion were coaching inns of note. Wealthy travellers would leave well supplied with Banbury Cakes.
Banbury was ravaged by fire in 1628. Although some buildings have survived to the present day, many were destroyed.
The construction of the Oxford Canal in 1790 greatly aided the town's growth. Later the railways also helped its expansion: in 1850 the first rails reached Banbury, one line from the Great Western Railway and one from the London and North Western Railway, giving Banbury two stations side by side: the Great Western station, always the town's main station, later became known as Banbury Bridge Street, while the London & North Western became Banbury Merton Street. Merton Street closed in 1959 to allow all traffic to be concentrated on the main station.
The railway lines to Brackley and Woodford Halse (both in Northamptonshire) closed in 1961 and 1966 respectively, but the main station, now simply called Banbury, still flourishes as a popular commuter and tourist station, served by trains running between London Paddington and Birmingham via Reading, Oxford and Leamington Spa, and from London Marylebone via High Wycombe and Bicester, the fastest non-stop train taking 68 minutes to get into London Marylebone (and 62 minutes for the return journey). The former mineral line from Banbury to the nearby ironstone quarry beside Wroxton village opened in about 1900 and closed in 1967 after the ironstone ran out. The small opencast mine was heavily used during World War II.
Until its closure in June 1998, Banbury was home to the largest livestock market in western Europe.
The town saw rapid expansion during the 1960s as housing was built for the overspill from London. Banbury's continued growth was accelerated by the completion of the M40 motorway which gave faster access by road to London and Birmingham.
Banbury was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835. It retained a borough council until 1974, when under the Local Government Act 1972 it became part of the Cherwell district, an unparished area with Charter Trustees. A civil parish with a town council was set up in 2000.
BANBURY CROSS
At one time Banbury had many crosses (The High Cross, The Bread Cross and The White Cross), but these were destroyed by Puritans on 26 July 1600. Banbury remained without a cross for another 250 years until the current Banbury Cross was erected in 1859 at the centre of the town to commemorate the marriage of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter to Prince Frederick of Prussia. The current Banbury Cross is a stone, spire-shaped monument decorated in Gothic form. Statues of Queen Victoria, Edward VII and George V were added in 1911. The cross is fifty-two feet six inches high, and topped by a gilt cross.
The English nursery rhyme "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross" - known world-wide for many years as a continuity theme on BBC World Service - refers to a cross destroyed by Puritans in 1602. In April 2005, Princess Anne unveiled a large bronze statue depicting the Fine Lady upon a White Horse of the nursery rhyme. It stands on the corner of West Bar and South Bar, just yards from the present Banbury Cross.
From Wikipedia
 BANBURY Hotels & Accommodation
ENGLAND TOURS, TRAVEL & ACTIVITIES
HOME •
ENGLAND •
DISCOVER •
Southeast England •
Oxfordshire •
Discover Banbury
|
Looking for something specific?
Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross
Giclee Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
 
|
DISCOVER ENGLAND
ENGLAND TOURS & TRAVEL
