Banbury’s Historic Motoring & Motor Sport Landscape

I have always said that one of the best things about Banbury is that it is so close to so many great things to see, do and visit. Put a pin in your map on Banbury and draw a circle – say, a 45-60 minute drive out and – whether you are a foodie, a literary lover, a petrol head or anything in between – you are spoiled for choice. It’s why we keep using the hashtag #GetThereFromBanbury.

We’ve already touched upon the great things a history or fan of manor house visits can find nearby.

Now, let’s look at the impressive array of “days out” the motoring enthusiast will find within 45 minutes or so of town. The list includes a few I’ve mentioned previously, including:

Motoring Museums

• British Motor Museum in Gaydon
• Coventry Transport Museum in Coventry
• National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull
• Cotswold Motoring Museum (and Toy Collection for mini-motorheads) in Bourton on the Water
• Silverstone, home of British Motorsport where you can watch some of the top racers or indulge in driving experiences and track days

But there are also local and local-ish events where you can get more hands on or even put your own car on display.

Classic and Vintage Vehicle Events

• VMCC Banbury Run
• Steam Rally at Bloxham
• Retro Warwick – usually August in Warwick town centre
• Bicester Heritage: the former RAF Bicester (in Bicester, as one might reasonably expect) has become the amazing Bicester Heritage, a business park dedicated to historic motoring and aviation that hosts all sorts of events like Sunday Scramble and Flywheel as well as car club gatherings galore.
• The Banbury Car & Bike Meet happens monthly – check out their Facebook page for times and dates.

For the Peckish Petrol Head

Because no one can live by the smell of exhaust fumes alone, we would have missed a trick if we didn’t mention

• • Caffeine and Machine – tasty treats alongside ever changing displays of cars brought in by customers from far and wide. This has really become a destination for lovers of not only classic and vintage cars but cars in a wider, fantastic sense. As they themselves say on their website, it is a place for those with “a love for things that move. From first cars to hyper-cars, spotless classics to super bikes, micro-cars to trucks, there’s a place for it at C&M.” The food’s pretty good too. Check out the website for special events, car club meets and all sorts of happenings.

• • Gilks Garage Cafe– absolutely bedecked with vintage memorabilia, photos and history of the cars and Gilks garage itself. Top notch breakfast too.

And that’s just the visitor attractions, cafes and events. Banbury’s place in Motor Sport Valley is also firmly established as it serves as home to F1 teams as well as Arden and Pro-drive. The bottom line is this – if you want to spend a weekend wallowing in all things motorsport, Banbury makes a perfect base of operations.

All pictures courtesy of @ModParlPhotos