Banbury village safety

[Stillhoping1990]

I am considering relocating with my family to a village just west west of Banbury town centre (15 min drive to town) I’ve read and heard the crime rates in Banbury are high and I worry the rural villages are unsafe because of this. Does anyone have any advice on rural Banbury? Is this a good move or should I be looking at other parts of Oxfordshire?

You have heard that the crime rates are high…where did you hear that? Have you actually visited and did you notice anything unsafe?

Google - estate agents - people I’ve talked to.

It's just like anywhere else. You'll be fine.

I grew up in a village just outside Banbury and my DB still lives in the area. Which village is it? They are all pretty safe, as is the town - a bit of argy-bargy late on a Saturday night, and some areas are nicer than others, but certainly no worse than anywhere else and a lot better than some.

Presume you are looking at the likes of Bloxham, Hook Norton, South Newington etc?
Banbury itself is absolutely fine (no different to any similar sized market town) and the villages, even quieter.
Like any village/town/city there are areas/estates/roads that can bring an area down but they don't bring the wider area down.

This is great to know! Thank you everyone!

No local knowledge, but to my untrained eye it doesn't look bad at all. Like most places the high street area will show high crimes rates purely because of shop lifting, drug dealing and drunks. But if you look at other neighbourhoods they look tranquil, e.g. (per Area360)

As a local village dweller I agree with previous posts- Banbury is a bit run down in places but safe enough. Most of the villages are lovely!

We live in a village east of Banbury and dc goes to secondary school just outside Banbury. I think it’s a pleasant market town & when I go in for some shopping or and evening out I never feel vulnerable or unsafe. Obviously there are some more iffy parts, but that’s the same everywhere.

Thank you all - we’ve decide we’re going to go for it! Managed to speak to some more locals too and everyone who lives there loves it. Also Banbury train is great - can get to London under an hour.

I believe since covid trains have got a bit slower - it used to be under an hour when my DB was commuting but I think it's now up to about 1hr 10. Still a reasonable service though.