Famously named in the nursery rhyme Ride-a-cock-horse, it has been suggested that the 'fine lady upon her white horse' was Queen Elizabeth or Lady Godiva but there is no proof to either of these claims.
The cross mentioned in the nursery rhyme was pulled down towards the end of the 16th Century, today another cross stands in its place which was erected in 1859 to celebrate the wedding of the then Princess Royal to Prince Frederick of Prussia.
The town is home to Kraft Jacob Suchard's factory known for producing coffee and custard.
The internationally known Banbury cakes, a special fruit and pastry cake, are still produced in the town.
In 1790 the opening of the Oxford Canal connected Bambury with the Midlands which enabled the town to grow which continued with the arrival of the railways.