Day 2 of my English Tourism Week 2026 in Banbury – and let’s start off today with a question.
If you asked to guess what Banbury is most famous for – and you weren’t allowed to say “being near Bicester Village” – what might you say?
Well, if you read yesterday’s post you might say Banbury cakes. But let’s pretend you didn’t read it and you suggest ….?
Yes! The nursery rhyme. You know the one:
Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross
To see a fine lady upon a white horse
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
She shall have music wherever she goes.
For many people, that rhyme is their very first (and only) introduction to Banbury. And they are often delighted to learn that there really is a Banbury Cross.
The one we see today in the town centre isn’t one of the original medieval crosses. There were three – the White Cross, the Bread Cross, and the main Market Cross. Those were removed by the Puritans around 1600-1602. I mean, what do you expect from people who would frown on pastry.
Anyway, you can see the marker where the original Market Cross stood in the marketplace near the entrance to Castle Quay.
The current Banbury Cross, the one in the roundabout at the end of the High Street, was built in 1859 to celebrate the marriage of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Victoria, to Prince Frederick of Prussia. And it has its own fine lady, in the form of a statue across the way.
The statue is a much more recent addition, installed in 2005 and now one of the most photographed sights in town. Quite rightly too – it’s a striking statue and, thanks to its placement, full of excellent photographic angles and backgrounds.
But here’s another question and one that has been debated for generations:
Who exactly is the Fine Lady?
There are several theories.
- Some believe she represents Queen Elizabeth I, who is known to have visited Banbury in the 1500s. Not sure I buy that.
- Others suggest she might be Celia Fiennes. Sure there’s a vague local link but still not convinced.
- And some historians think the rhyme may never have referred to a specific person at all. Probably the most likely.
Whatever the answer, the rhyme, the cross, and the Fine Lady have become part of Banbury’s identity.
So if you’re in town this week for English Tourism Week, take a moment to stop by Banbury Cross.
You’ll find the Fine Lady still riding proudly through the centre of town – rings on her fingers, bells on her toes, and a nursery rhyme that has been carrying Banbury’s name across the world for a very long time.
#Banbury #EnglishTourismWeek2026