BANBURY MANOR

Identity: confirmed — The record is the episcopal manor of Banbury in Oxfordshire, historically held by the Bishops of Lincoln. The associated rental, portmote, survey and account references are consistent with the Banbury manor and its manorial administration, not with another same-named manor.
Representative point: 52.0601, -1.3392
Basis: supported_manorial_centre — Approximate centre of the documented site of Banbury Castle, immediately north of the medieval market place. Archaeological and historical sources identify Banbury Castle as the Bishop of Lincoln's principal Banbury residence and administrative/manorial centre; the castle site probably developed from an earlier episcopal hall or manor.
Point confidence: medium
Boundary status: representative_point_only
Boundary period: Medieval to early post-medieval; exact applicable period not established
Boundary confidence: none
Boundary basis: The evidence confirms the location and broad institutional context of Banbury Manor but does not provide a sufficiently precise, source-mapped perimeter of its manorial land. References to Banbury Hundred and associated vills describe a wider jurisdiction or estate complex and cannot safely be converted into a single manor polygon. The medieval parish, later civil borough, modern town and Banbury Hundred are not interchangeable with the historical manorial boundary.
Sources:
- The National Archives: Banbury Manor, F286020: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F286020 — Registry record identifying the exact manor as Banbury Manor, located at Banbury, Oxfordshire, under authority/reference GB/NNAF/M310054.
- Oxfordshire Historic Environment Record: Site of Banbury Castle, MOX4510: https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?resourceID=1033&uid=MOX4510 — Places Banbury Castle at SP 456 408, north of the market place, and records that it was built by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln. The castle site is the strongest surviving geographic indicator of the episcopal Banbury manorial centre.
- Historic England Research Records: Banbury Castle: https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?resourceID=19191&uid=337195 — Records the castle site at approximately SP 45704079 and describes its medieval development, excavation and location in the historic core of Banbury.
- Excavations in Banbury, 1972: First Report: https://www.oxoniensia.org/volumes/1973/fasham2.pdf — States that Banbury was held by the Bishops of Lincoln, was recorded in Domesday as a manorial centre, and that the castle-area site may represent the location of the earlier episcopal manor or hall.
- Castle Quay, Banbury: archaeological assessment: https://eprints.oxfordarchaeology.com/5010/1/BANC19_EX.pdf — Describes Banbury Castle as a major medieval site in the historic core and attributes its construction to the Bishop of Lincoln, supporting use of the castle site as a representative manorial centre.
- Banbury archaeological desk-based assessment: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Document/Download?fileName=Archaeological+Desk+Based+Assessment+2020.11.24+4599+High+St+Banbury_Part-1.pdf&imageId=19&isPlan=False&module=PLA&planId=1646410&recordNumber=143889 — Confirms the castle's position in Banbury's medieval administrative and settlement development and distinguishes the medieval town from the wider historical landholding context.
Warnings / uncertainty:
- The representative point is an evidence-based proxy for the historical manorial centre, not a surviving manor-house footprint.
- No reliable source located in this research supplies a complete, georeferenced boundary for the territorial land of Banbury Manor.
- Banbury Hundred, the medieval borough, the ancient parish and the later civil borough must not be substituted for the manor boundary.