Banbury Museum & Gallery
Banbury's canalside museum is one of those places you wander into on a whim and leave genuinely glad you did. It's free, it's relaxed, and the touring exhibitions give you a reason to go back more than once.
Banbury's canalside museum is one of those places you wander into on a whim and leave genuinely glad you did. It's free, it's relaxed, and the touring exhibitions give you a reason to go back more than once.
Sitting right on the Oxford Canal in the middle of Banbury, the museum tells the story of the town and its surroundings through a permanent collection that's richer than you might expect. Civil War history, the story of the plush weaving trade, local Roman finds: it covers a lot of ground in a compact, well-designed space. The gallery upstairs hosts a rolling programme of touring exhibitions, so there's nearly always something new on. We've seen everything from contemporary printmaking to natural history photography up there.
It's a particularly good option on a rainy afternoon, or as part of a wider wander around Banbury (the market, the cafes on Parsons Street, the canal towpath). Children are well catered for, with hands-on activities and trails that keep things interesting without feeling forced. The whole visit takes an hour or so, which leaves plenty of time to pick up a coffee and a Banbury cake before heading back to the cottage.
“We always check what's on at the gallery before heading into Banbury. It's free, it's right by the canal, and the touring shows are surprisingly good.”
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.