The What, When and Where around Banbury
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. Continue reading “Banbury’s Historic Motoring & Motor Sport Landscape”
You may have noticed we’re using a new hashtag on the Banburian lately – #GetThereFromBanbury. What do we mean by that? Well, it occurred to us that there a lot of events and places of interest which you could reach in an hour or less from Banbury. So we decided that if you could #GetThereFromBanbury in an hour or less (most are a lot less), it qualified for the hashtag. It all ties in to our belief that Banbury is a great base for exploring some of the most beautiful, historic and interesting places in the country, no matter what your interests might be.
Wander the gardens at Blenheim
We’ve already touched upon how much the area offers for the motorsport and historic motoring fans. But what if your definition of a good time is a castle or a palace? Maybe grand homes, manors and gardens are more your speed? No worries. Banbury, so close to so many iconic locations, is the perfect base for you too. Here are just a few: Continue reading “Castles and Manors and Gardens! Oh My!”
Tell someone you live in Banbury & they’ll start reciting:
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.
Considering how well-known that little ditty is you’d think we’d know a lot about its origins but we don’t. We don’t know:
There are quite likely people who have studied this whole thing in depth and can talk for hours about the origins and meaning of it all. To normal, everyday people (like me and I suspect, you) the information seems inconsistent and like many questions involving oral traditions of this type -definitive answers are lost in time. So what do we have? Thanks to those people who did all the studying – we have informed guesses. So let’s get to guessing. Continue reading “Who’s Riding to Which Cross?”
This is especially effective when quoted while standing in front of 46 Parsons Street, which back in the day – way back – was the Shakespeare Inn. See, there he is still about Shelia’s Sweets, ready to greet all visitors.)
Banbury is, as you may know, associated with Banbury cake but one can’t live by cake alone (believe me, I’ve tried and it just cannot be done long-term). Enter the Bard and behold – Banbury Cheese!
Continue reading “Talk Like Shakespeare Day, Banbury-Style”
It’s Halloween and while I know you’re probably madly rushing around putting finishing touches on costumes or exerting massive self-control to keep from eating all that candy you’ve purchased, let’s take a minute for a ghost story – or two! Ghost are always fun, and Banbury has two that I know of.
Whately Hall has the usual charm and historic touches you would expect from a building or its age, but it’s also got hidden staircases Continue reading “BOO! It’s Time for a Tale of Haunted Banbury”