Location: Banbury
Top Things to do in Banbury
Top 10 Things to do in Banbury, England
Banbury /ˈbænbrɪ/ is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England. By road, the town is situated 74 miles (119 km) northwest of London, 42 miles (68 km) southeast of Birmingham, 27 miles (43 km) south of Coventry and 23 miles (37 km) north-by-northwest of the county town of Oxford. It had a population of 46,853 at the 2011 census.
Restaurants in Banbury
1. Upton House & Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,197 reviews
Come and see how Lord & Lady Bearsted made Upton House and Gardens the perfect country retreat for their family in the 1930s. You can also discover Lord Bearsted's famous art collection including works by Bosch, Stubbs and Canaletto. We have a stunning collection of porcelain too; so if you are visiting us for the first time you may wish to expect your visit to the house to last a minimum of an hour. Viewings of the house available by timed ticket from 11:00am with last entry to the house at 15:30 before closing at 16:00; the gardens, shop and cafe close at 17:00. Please bear in mind that the car park is 300 yards from the house.
Reviewed By srablair - Lytham St Anne's, United Kingdom
This is a wonderful property with a lot to see so allow plenty of time. We spent around 4 hours here including a nice visit to the cafe. Access to the house is by timed appointment and there is a choice of 3 tours to do at timed appointments too, so I would advise getting these scheduled in As soon as you arrive. There is a large garden to visit with a few surprises along the way and a good kitchen garden which I found inspirational. The house dated back to 17th Century although it was extensively redesigned in 1921. The redesign is interesting in its own right and the main draw is the house contents including spectacular art collection including paintings tapestries and Chinaware. We were interested in the history of the house and it's owners over the years which provide a glimpse into the past. Quite fascinating. There is a temporary natural science exhibition of portraits of scientists and environmental contributors which is very interesting. Is a tribute to the work of people from a range of backgrounds from Darwin to David Attenburgh via Chris Packham and Vivien Westwood! Nice little exhibition which is worth 20 minutes look if you are here anyway. The cafe was doing a roaring trade and we enjoyed tea/coffee ,scone and jam and very nice shortbread. We we were pleased to see that the clotted cream for the cream tea was served in a reusable pot which is much more sensible than the standard foil sealed type pot. Very good visit.
2. Broughton Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 348 reviews
A moated fortified manor house, about 2 miles west of Banbury. Built in 1300 and then later added to in 1550, the Castle had strong links with the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War (1642-51). Still a family home, Broughton Castle is lived in by the Fiennes family. Beautiful formal garden and park. Public open days will resume from the beginning of April 2017 (2pm - 5pm Wednesdays and Sundays). We are open for group tours at any time of the year by appointment. We have a recently refurbished tea room offering light lunches and delicious afternoon teas,
Reviewed By lindamV7611EC
A magnificent old building with beautiful gardens, Broughton Castle is a lovely place to visit. The house has a lived in feel, with different architectural styles and periods blended beautifully together. Tea and cake in the gardens after our tour ended our visit on exactly the right note.
3. Sulgrave Manor
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 172 reviews
Sulgrave Manor is a Tudor house with later additions, originally built by the ancestors of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The house and garden were purchased, restored and opened to the public in 1921 as a lasting memorial to peace between Britain and the United States.
Reviewed By colinc342 - Wallingford, United Kingdom
An excellent place to visit with plenty of detail about the previous owners including the ancestors of George Washington. It's a good size and can be visited in 2-3 hours or less if your pressed for time. There are interesting gardens with plants from the New World which the Pilgrim Fathers would have had to rely on
4. Fir Tree Falconry
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 46 reviews
Reviewed By 784belug - Banbury, United Kingdom
I gave my husband one of the falconery experience and my little boy and myself went to watch with him. Dian was absolutely amazing. They are all really welcoming and they have mor birds than I could ever imagine! The talk was absolutely brilliant, Dian is a real expert and the birds are so beautiful and respond to her as if they where part of her family! Definitely recommended and we will be coming back!
5. Broughton Grange Garden
6. Spiceball Country Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By N319XDbenh
Great park to visit. Excellent facilities especially the abundance of bins. The one we used near our picnic was a beauty.
7. Farnborough Hall
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 82 reviews
17th century honey coloured country house with heavy influence of Rococo plasterwork and Sanderson Miller landscapes. Built in the late 17th century by William Holbech, and still lived in and run by the Holbech family.
8. Banbury Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 206 reviews
Welcome to Banbury Museum! We are a family friendly museum located in Banbury’s town centre, next to the idyllic canal side. The Civil War, plush manufacturing, the Victorian market town, costume from the 17th century to the present day, Tooley’s Boatyard and the Oxford Canal, are just some of the stories illustrated in the museum. There are also regularly changing exhibitions and activities to ensure that there is always something new to see and do
Reviewed By G9885BBclareb
Banbury Museum holds different exhibitions some with a small charge. The museum has lovely items to look at for free, we took our young kid's here often now they have grown up they still visit the exhibition.The Cafe is really nice and friendly staff, I go here quite regularly.
9. Water Fowl Sanctuary and Children's Farm
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 87 reviews
Reviewed By mazza53_12
Well, those of you who made comments on here regarding the Sanctuary I hope you are pleased with yourselves, and those who called the Council and complained, because now thanks to you and the Council none of us can go back and enjoy the animals because they've closed it down. So you got stung by a nettle, no one was going to die, they didn't serve food they weren't going to poison anyone, no one was in any danger from the animals, you pay a small entry fee and yet expect so much, they were just a small family unit giving homes to animals no longer wanted as well educating and helping young children get up close and personal to animals, a huge loss to the area. As for the animals I doubt all will be rehomed due to their ages so will have to go to slaughter. But you didnt think about that when you complained, just the me me me attitude.
10. Fine Lady Statue
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 53 reviews
Reviewed By 76pennyb - Banbury, United Kingdom
I took my little grandchildren on a hunt for the unusual and we found it! Have you found the frog or is it a toad hidden by the Fyne Lady Statue? It certainly made looking at this statue much more interesting! It was a good place to start looking for other animals as we started our trip to explore Banbury.You need sharp eyes. But is was such fun. By the time we found the flying pigs, More shiney sun faces than they could count and the hidden stream running through the town centre we were having lots of laughs and even with some exercise thrown in for good measure! Well worth a looksee!
