Planning your visit
Address: The Mill Arts Centre, Spiceball Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5QE View on Google map
Price: Once you're parked up, it won't cost you a thing
Toilets: At the nearby shopping centre
At the Oxford Canal in Banbury you'll find the oldest working dry dock in Britain. Tooley's Boatyard, now a schedule ancient monument, has been building and repairing narrowboats since 1790.
It's where you can stock up on canal souvenirs, or learn a canal-related crafts like painting roses and castles. Tooley's is also where you can get on the water by taking a boat trip.
A few minutes' stroll from the canal is the centre of this historic market town, and the famous Banbury Cross (yes, there really is one). And why not treat yourself to an equally famous Banbury Cake? If you're up for a longer walk, you can take the towpath alongside the Oxford Canal to Cropredy, four miles away. You're almost certain to spot moorhens, mallards and perhaps even a shy water vole.
For those who can't resist retail therapy, the shopping centre is a stone's throw away. Also worth a visit is The Mill Arts Centre, a multi arts venue which hosts live music, theatre, family theatre shows, a gallery space, workshop sessions, conference room spaces and a café and bar.
Things to do and see
Places to eat:
- Cafe Red
- Costa Coffee Castle Quay
- The Mill Arts Centre cafe and bar
Boat trips:
Wildlife spotting:
The canal is a green ribbon running through the town, get out and see some great local wildlife and experience nature close at hand
Getting here
By car - Castle Quay Car Park in the shopping centre
By train - Banbury Station is just a three minute walk to the canal side
By boat - there are some visitor moorings and a few permanent moorings plus some boat services available (as well as Tooley's of course!)