Most people associate the nursery rhyme ‘Ride a cock horse’ with Banbury. It is located on the border with the most beautiful part of England, Chermwell Valley. It is located on the River Chermwell in North Oxfordshire, England and falls towards the North West of London.
The present Banbury Cross at Horsefair was erected in 1859. The old St Mary’s Church is on its way and has great interiors and a majestic tower. The Cross erected at the wedding of the Princess Royal with Prince Frederick of Prussia.
Ancient Banbury was a great place of wool production. Most of the city was burned down in 1628. The railway lines and the Oxford Canal were added later and this developed the city drastically. The Canals connects the city with the Midlands.
It is well known for its special fruit cake called Banbury Cakes which can be bought at any bakery and is similar to Eccles cake. These were exported to Australia at one point. It is still considered an industrial city. Alcoa Industries are famous aluminum manufacturers.
Thursdays and Saturdays are the days to shop and High Street is the place. Food, hardware, pets and many more artifacts are sold. There are excellent cafes for a cup of tea.
There are great job prospects due to the rapid growth in recent years after the formation of the European Union. You can find many Poles in the workforce. Christianity and the island are the main religions.
Banbury is named after a local Saxon lord named Banna. There are free guided walks around the city and the Information Center has more details. The city also organizes the annual animal festival called the Hobby Horse Festival.
The Banbury Museum is a place to summarize the history of the city, cakes and agriculture. In today’s world, it is a major prosperous trading city. You can find printing, electrical, and food processing factories here.