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Banbury Libraries
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About Banbury - show infohide info
Banbury in Oxfordshire is located on the River Cherwell. The name Banbury is possibly derived from 'Banna', a local Saxon dignitary who is said to have built his stockade there in the 500's. Banbury is probably made most famous by the 'Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross'? nursery rhyme. It refers to a cross destroyed by puritans in 1602. There are many theories about the identity of the 'fine lady' referred to in the rhyme, including those she may have Lady Godiva or Elizabeth I. Banbury's current cross was erected in 1859 in commemoration of the marriage of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter to Prince Frederick of Prussia. In the 13th century, Banbury was well known for its wool making industry, but lost some early buildings in the fire of 1628. In 1790, the Oxford canal was created giving the town a large trade boost, with the railway doing the same in 1850. Nowadays Banbury continues to expand as a market town as it is close to the M40 which reaches Birmingham, Oxford, and London. Its major businesses today include aluminium from Alcoa, and coffee and custard from Kraft Jacobs Suchard. The traditional Banbury cake, made from fruit and pastry, are still made today.
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