Banbury is one of the most well known English towns because of the nursery rhyme 'Ride a Cock Horse'. It is believed that the Fine Lady in the nursery rhyme was Lady Godiva, the wife to Leofric of Coventrym, who is well known for allegedly riding naked through the city. In reality it is more likely that it was a girl from town riding in the annual May Day procession. The city of Banbury is located on the edge of the Cotswolds and also the Cherwell Valley. This area is well known for being one of the most attractive areas in England.
The name if the city is thought to come from a Sacon lord named Banna who is believed to have settled in Banbury during the 6th century. By the 13th century Banbury had developed into the center of the wool trading industry. Unfortunately a fire in 1628 demolished many building but some did survive and are still around today. In 1790 the Oxford Canal opened to connect the town to the Midlands. This brought new life to the town with new industries, a growth that continued with the building of railways.
In 1990 the M40 was completed with gave the town even greater access to not only the Midlands but the North and London as well. Banbury is now a extremely beautiful, booming market town. It has a wonderful variety of shopping options that include the well known stores on High St as well as small, independent shops.
Banbury is also well known for its Banbury Cakes that can be purchased one of the many local bakeries. Banbury Cakes are small cakes made of fruits and spices that are shipped world wide. Along the cobbled streets that surround the market there are several quaint coffee shops where the cakes can be sampled. The Banbury Market is open on Thursday and Saturday and is located in the center of the main shopping area. The market has just about anything you might want to find from fruits and vegetables to gifts, CDs, handbags and hardware just to name a few.
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