I would like to hear from those who live in the UK- not have visited. I am contemplating accepting a job that would relocate me to Banbury, Oxfordshire in England. I would like to know what "type" of place it is? What is it's reputation or personality like? I am a single female with no children. How much should I reasonably expect to spend on a house/flat to let ? I know that depends on several factors but please atleast provide a ball park estimate. What utilities does one usually have seperate from rent ? Electricity? Water? Garbage? . How far is Banbury from London proper? Is it easy to get there? Would you recommend it? Thank you so much! Currently I live in Atlanta, GA in USA. Banbury is a market town located on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England. It had a population of 43,867 at the 2001 census.[1] Banbury is part of, and the largest town in, the Cherwell district. Residents of Banbury are called "Banburians" and the Member of Parliament for Banbury is Tony Baldry.
Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area, which is predominantly rural. Banbury has a shopping centre called Castle Quay, which is one of the largest in the region with over 70 shops and cafes. Banbury's main industries include car components, electrical goods, plastics, food processing, and printing. Banbury is home to the world's largest coffee-producing facility (Kraft Foods Banbury), built in 1964. The town is famed for Banbury cakes 鈥?similar to Eccles cakes but oval in shape. Since July 2000 it has hosted a unique gathering of traditional mock animals, from around the UK and beyond, at the annual Banbury Hobby Horse Festival.
The surrounding area is known informally by some as Banburyshire and covers the north half of the Cherwell district and neighbouring areas. It has one of fastest growing populations in the country. As Banbury lies near to the Oxfordshire border, "Banburyshire" includes parts of Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. Banbury is considered the commercial centre of the northern half of Oxfordshire.
Transport and infrastructure
Due to the building of the M40 motorway, Banbury is now a large, prosperous town with good industry. It is now one of the major commuter towns for both London [citation needed] and Birmingham. The M40 also provides local residents great access to both the Midlands and the southeast.
Banbury also has rail links to Coventry, Birmingham and London Marylebone via the non-electrified line that runs from London Marylebone.
Banbury has an intra-urban bus service provided by Stagecoach Group which also feeds the outlying villages and provides transport to towns such as Oxford, Chipping Norton and Brackley.
The Oxford Canal snakes its way through Banbury, providing a stopping point for narrowboat owners, and although the canal is no longer used for freight, it remains a busy and bustling waterway as it joins to the main Grand Union Canal further north.
Hennef Way (A422) was upgraded to a dual carriageway easing traffic on the heavily congested road and providing better links to north Banbury and the town centre from the M40. The project was planned to take 85 weeks but was finished 6 weeks overdue.
There have been recent suggestions to build a ring road around Banbury or add a relief road from Bodicote to ease town centre traffic although none of these plans have yet gone forth.
Shopping
Banbury has many shops in suburban local centres and in the town centre along the High Street, Parsons Street, Broad Street and in the market place. There is also a market held on Thursdays and Saturdays in the market place. Banbury also has an average size retail park (Banbury Cross Retail Park).
Castle Quay
Castle Quay is a large shopping centre located in the centre of Banbury. It opened as the Castle Shopping Centre in 1977 before being expanded in the 1990s. It has six entrances; three along the canal, one on Bridge Street and two in the market place. The centre has over 70 shops including well-known names such as Woolworths, Marks & Spencer, Bhs, Debenhams and many more.
Market
Every Thursday and Saturday, a market is held in the market place, as well as a farmers' market on the first Friday of every month.
Polish and East European immigration
Banbury has one of the UK's lowest unemployment rates (less than 1%), with a resultant high demand for labour. Once Poland joined the European Union in 2004, a number of Banbury-based employment agencies began advertising for staff in major Polish newspapers. According to an estimate by the Banbury Polish Association, there are between 5,000 and 6,000 Poles in the town.[2] The influx of the largely Catholic Polish workers has had a revitalising effect on Banbury's Catholic churches, to the extent that at least one now offers a Mass said partially in Polish. Additionally specialist Polish food shops have opened as well as supermarkets such as Tesco opening specialist food counters for the new population.
The town also has significant numbers of other Eastern European populations, notably Hungarians and Lithuanians.
Banbury Cross
At one time Banbury had many crosses (The High Cross, The Bread Cross and The White Cross), but these were destroyed by Puritans on 26 July 1600. Banbury remained without a cross for another 250 years until the current Banbury Cross was erected in 1859 at the centre of the town to commemorate the marriage of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter to Prince Frederick of Prussia. The current Banbury Cross is a stone, spire-shaped monument decorated in Gothic form. Statues of Queen Victoria, Edward VII and George V were added in 1911. The cross is fifty-two feet six inches high, and topped by a gilt cross.
The English nursery rhyme "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross" refers to a cross destroyed by Puritans in 1602. In April 2005, Princess Anne unveiled a large bronze statue depicting the Fine Lady upon a White Horse of the nursery rhyme. It stands on the corner of West Bar and South Bar, just yards from the present Banbury Cross.
Cattle Market
Banbury is a historic market town that used to be home to Western Europe's largest cattle market,[3] situated on Merton Street in Grimsbury where trading took place with a variety of farm animals. Since its closure in June 1998 a new housing development has been built on its site (that may soon include a school). The council rejected planning permission for a new smaller cattle market on the grounds that it would increase traffic congestion.
Local Newspapers
Banbury has three local newspapers:
The Banbury Guardian, which costs 40p and is a broadsheet
The Banbury & District Review, which is a free tabloid
The Banbury Cake, also a free tabloid
The Commuuter, also a free tabloid available at Banbury railway station
The Banbury Guardian is published on Thursdays and goes on sale the same day. The Banbury Cake is published on Wednesdays and is released for delivery on Thursday. The Banbury & District Review is published Thursdays and released for delivery on Friday. The Commuter is released for delivery on Monday.
Banbury Museum
Banbury has a new modern museum in the town centre near Spiceball Park. [4] It cost approximately 拢5,000,000 to build and is accessed over a bridge from the Castle Quay Shopping Centre or via Spiceball Park road. Admission to the museum is free.
Schools and colleges
Colleges
Oxford and Cherwell Valley College (formerly known as "North Oxfordshire College and School of Art" and "Oxford & Cherwell College")
Secondary schools
Banbury School (includes 6th form)
Blessed George Napier Roman Catholic School and Sports College [5] (includes 6th form) Also known as B.G.N
North Oxfordshire Academy (6th form to open in September 2008, formerly known as "Drayton School")
Primary schools
The Primary schools in the area are:
Dashwood school
The Grange School
Hardwick School
Harriers Ground Primary School
Hill View School
Hanwell Fields Community School
Orchard Fields Community School (formerly known as "Neithrop County Infants School" and "Neithrop County Junior School")
St John's Roman Catholic Primary School
St John's Priory School (which is an Independent school)
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School
St Leonard's School
St Mary's School
Queensway School
William Morris School
Geography
Co-ordinates
Banbury's latitude and longitude are 52掳03鈥?6鈥砃, 1掳20鈥?5鈥砏 (at Banbury Cross, which is usually considered the centre).
Banbury is located in the Cherwell Valley therefore there are many hills in and around the town. Apart from the town centre much of Banbury is on a slope and each entrance into the town is downhill, estates such as Bretch Hill and Hardwick are built on top of a hill and much of the town can be seen from both. Other hills include Crouch Hill and many others to the east of the town.
Banbury is located at the bank of the River Cherwell, and it sweeps through the town, going just east of the town centre with Grimsbury being the only estate east of the river.
Churches and Places of Worship
There are many churches in Banbury as well as a mosque. Below is a list of them:
St Paul's Church
St Mary's Church of England and United Reformed Church
Marlborough Road Methodist Church
The Salvation Army Church, George Street
Grimsbury Baptist Church
The People's Church, (formerly known as Baptist Church Centre)
St. John's Evangelist, Roman Catholic Church
St. Joseph the Worker, Roman Catholic Church
Grimsbury Mosque
St. Leonards, Anglican
The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, (Mormon)
Parks and Recreational areas
Banbury is a town with many Parks and other recreational areas. Some of these are:
Bankside Park
Browning Road Park
The Easington Rec
Horton View Sports Ground
Ironstones Park
King's Field Park (Actually in Bodicote)
The People's Park
Rugrats Park
Spiceball Park
St Louis Meadow Park
Princess Diana Park
Yellow Park Back in 1947, Banbury was a quiet Country Town - a wonderful place to live.
Today, it is full of the craziest drivers in the World - many of them trying to get on the tricky entrance to the London Freeway.
There are no Traffic Police anywhere - neither in the Town nor on the Freeway to London and there, apparently, is no
Speed Limit and everyone drives on the wrong side of the Road!!
You are much safer in Atlanta. |
