Attractions and Places To See around Milton - Top 20

At one time Banbury had many crosses (the High Cross, the Bread Cross and the White Cross), but these were destroyed by Puritans in 1600.[7][50] Banbury remained without a cross for more than 250 years until the current Banbury Cross was erected in 1859 at the centre of the town to commemorate the marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal (eldest child of Queen Victoria) 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 1914 to commemorate the coronation of George V. The cross is 52 feet 6 inches (16 m) high, and topped by a gilt cross. Towns with crosses in England before the reformation were places of Christian pilgrimage. The English nursery rhyme "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross", in its several forms, may refer to one of the crosses destroyed by Puritans in 1600.[50] In April 2005, Princess Anne unveiled a large bronze statue depicting the Fine Lady upon a White Horse of the nursery rhyme.[51] It stands on the corner of West Bar and South Bar, just yards from the present Banbury Cross. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banbury#Banbury_Cross)

This building, designed by Edward George Bruton in the Gothic Revival style and built by Chesterman Brothers of Abingdon, was completed in October 1854 and is the fourth town hall building built in Banbury town from 1590 onwards. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing the junction of the High Street and Market Place; the central section, which projected forward, featured an arched doorway on the ground floor and a balcony with an ogee headed window on the first floor. A clock tower and spire were added in 1860. The principal room was an assembly hall on the first floor. The building was extended to the south west to create a council chamber in 1891. The town hall was the headquarters of Banbury Borough Council until the council moved its administration to the mechanics' institute in Marlborough Road in 1930. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banbury_Town_Hall

The thriving market town of Banbury is the most northern in Oxfordshire and has long been an important link with the Midlands. An important stop on the twin arteries of the Oxford Canal and the railway, it makes for a good base for exploring the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as well as some pleasant walking along the Oxford Canal. The town is also the start point for the Jurassic Way long-distance trail.

A mile north of Lower Heyford is its twin village Upper Heyford. Its location in the Cherwell Valley gives it excellent access to the verdant Oxfordshire countryside. There are plenty of local trails to explore. The Barley Mow pub is a good lunch option. The nearby RAF base was decommissioned in 1993 and many of its buildings are now listed as scheduled monuments. The site is popular with local urban explorers.

Designed by Edward Bruton in 1854, Banbury Town Hall is a magnificent Gothic-style building in the town centre. It was once used as a police station and cells still exist in the building. However, the prisoners are gone today and the town hall is now used for weddings and conferences.

Built in 1727 in the Oxfordshire countryside, Wroxton Abbey is an impressive Jacobean manor complete with a great hall, minstrels' gallery and chapel. The house is named after the original 12th-century abbey that was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536. Its ruins can still be seen in the grounds today. In 1932, the house was donated to Trinity College, Oxford and it now serves as a campus for the American university Farleigh Dickinson. You can visit the 56 acres of lawns, lakes and woodlands, as well as a number of follies. Entrance is free and the gardens are open daily from dawn to dusk. You can find more information, here: https://www.wroxtonabbey.org/

Very nice garden https://www.gardenvisit.com/gardens/wroxton_abbey_garden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wroxton_Abbey

The Cross Located at the top of Banbury High Street, Horsefair, South Bar and West Bar Street. Banbury Cross was erected in 1859 to celebrate the wedding of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Princess Royal, to Prince Frederick of Prussia. The sponsors of the Cross wished for a monument to be installed that would honour the occasion, and also serve as a “lasting credit and honour to the town”. The Cross was installed with three statues in 1914 of Queen Victoria, Edward VII and George V to celebrate the coronation of the latter in 1911. It is also engraved with the different arms of the town throughout its history, along with the town’s motto ‘Dominus Nobis sol et scutum’ (The Lord is our Sun and Shield). On the upper part of the monument are the coats of arms of important people connected with the history of the town. http://www.banbury.gov.uk/Banbury-Town-Council/Banbury_Cross_3818.aspx