Ride a Cock Horse

 

To Banbury Cross

 

 

To see a fine lady upon a white horse

During the period of the Reformation Banbury had three crosses. The High Cross, or Market Cross, was just off the Market Place. This was a focal point used for public proclamations. It had a flight of eight steps with a single shaft of carved stone 20 feet high on top, and was probably referred to as far back as 1478.
The Bread Cross was a large, covered cross, made of stone with a slate roof so that the butchers and bakers who had their market stalls there could keep dry in wet weather. This cross was associated with the distribution of bread to the poor each Good Friday.

The White Cross lay on the western boundary line of the old town borough, it was first mentioned in 1554 but little is known about it.
In the late 16th century Banbury's inhabitants were recorded as being "far gone in Puritanism". Consequently the ruling clique of the council ordered that at least two of the town's crosses, the High Cross and the Bread Cross, be destroyed.

Sunday was a lovely sunny and warm day, I was up and about early with Jumble for a walk around Spiceball Park where we are moored alongside.

 

On our walk I was enjoying the delicious smell of fresh bread coming from the Fine Lady Bakery just across the canal.

 

 

 

 

Later, on our way to church we spotted some of the very old buildings in the town, some of which we have noted on our blog before.

Ye Olde Reindeer Inn, with its heavy, wooden doors, leading through to the yard at the rear, bearing the inscription "Anno Din 1570".

For centuries the townspeople traded in wool, ale, cakes and cheese. Wool was first referred to in the year 1268, and cheese was manufactured from the 15th to the 18th centuries.

And this shop is now an estate agents, so not trading in any of these either.

Banbury is one of those towns which has embraced its canal and it passes alongside the shopping centre with a footbridge across to the car parks and sports centre. 

A lift bridge and a lock are often surrounded by gongoozlers watching the process of working the boats through. And of course the historic boatyard, Tooleys is here too, they are open for tours round the yard on Fridays and Saturday afternoons.

We have enjoyed stopping here each time we have passed through, 4 times now over the last 2 years.

 

Last night and this morning the town was filled with the aroma of roasting coffee from the Kraft food factory in the town. Banbury is pleasing to one’s senses in more ways than one.

 

This morning Bob and June invited us for coffee on board Autumn Myst before we set off.  We will soon be travelling in different directions so may not meet up again. Once again its been good to make new friends on the cut and we shall follow their journeys with interest, enjoying Bob’s super photos on their blog.

 

So today we passed through Cropredy again, blogged about many times before, and we didn’t stop for long. Just a walk to the shop for newpaper and milk.  We had been warned that C&RT were working on Broadmoor lock, but all was finished as we got there, but there was a bit of a queue…..

 

good for us though, plenty of people to help with the lock!

 

 

 

 

We passed the site for the new Marina, opening Summer 2013 according to the sign……..

                                                                   but I don’t think it will be!

 

 

Claydon flight of locks had their gates open in welcome for us, we got up very quickly.

 

 

 

Enjoying the springness (it should be a word!) all around despite the gloomy weather today.

 

 

Boundary bridge marking the boundary of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.

 

 

 

Wormleighton Reservoir, a feeder for the summit pound of the South Oxford canal.

A long windy stretch round the ancient medieval site of the old village of Wormleighton.  We shall walk over the fields and to today’s village tomorrow!

 

 

11.5 miles, 12 locks