3rd Day of English Tourism Week and so time for the next post in my English Tourism Week 2026 in Banbury series.
One of the things English Tourism Week is meant to highlight is how local stories and local places shape the wider visitor economy.
Which brings me to a place in Banbury that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves — Banbury Museum & Gallery.
If you’ve walked along the canal from Spiceball Park, along The Light Banbury, past the GF Club And Waterside Bar Banbury – you’ve almost certainly seen it. The glass-fronted building sits right alongside the Oxford Canal and holds the story of Banbury and the surrounding area within it.
The museum’s permanent collections cover everything from the town’s Civil War connections and famous Banbury cakes to Victorian industry, canal trade and the everyday lives of the people who lived here over the centuries. It’s the sort of place where you can wander in for a quick look and suddenly realise you’ve spent far longer than planned.
And then there is the Pye Gallery – a space that hosts an impressive array of temporary and traveling exhibitions covering everything from Grayson Perry to Vikings, from 90s pop culture to robots and Lego, and even Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Like many local museums across the country, Banbury Museum recently found itself at the centre of a debate about funding and priorities. When the possibility of losing support was raised, local residents made it very clear how much the museum matters to the town – and I must say I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people came out in support of the museum as quickly as they did.
Letters were written. Voices were raised. A great deal of hullabaloo ensued. And I wasn’t the only one surprised. In the end, the message landed: this is a cultural asset that the people of Banbury value, and the council found the money after all.
The museum remains open, continuing to tell the stories of the town and the people who shaped it.
So if you’re exploring Banbury during English Tourism Week, it’s well worth stepping inside.
Because behind that glass façade is not just a collection of objects — it’s the story of Banbury itself.
#Banbury #englishtourismweek2026