A geyser of water erupted from the road beside Banbury Cross on Wednesday night, drenching passing cars and scattering debris across one of Oxfordshire’s most visited landmarks.
The burst water main at the junction of West Bar Street and the Banbury Cross roundabout sent a column of water into the air just yards from the Fine Lady on a White Horse statue – the monument that gives the town’s famous nursery rhyme its home.
Local resident Zowie Stokes happened to be walking past when it blew.
“UK heatwave, even God said, ‘Cool down’, and blew up the road for cold water,” he said.
Thames Water moves in
Thames Water said engineers stopped the flow at around 10pm on 28 May.
West Bar Street remains closed while repairs continue, and six nearby properties are still without water.
“We apologise for the disruption caused by a burst water main in Banbury last night,” the company said in a statement.
“A customer representative is in the area today to speak to anyone who has been affected.”
‘Second time this has happened’
Not everyone is finding it quite so quotable.
Cllr Fiaz Ahmed, who represents Banbury Cross and Neithrop on Cherwell District Council, wants answers.
“This is the second time we have had a catastrophic water main failure in the centre of Banbury,” he said.
“What are Thames Water doing about this?”
It’s a question the company hasn’t yet publicly answered.
Why it matters
Ageing water infrastructure and summer heatwaves are a combination that’s been causing problems across the UK for several years.
Extreme heat causes pipes to expand and shift – and in towns like Banbury, where parts of the network are decades old, repeated failures suggest the repair work isn’t keeping pace with the strain.
Cherwell District Council is likely to push Thames Water for a fuller explanation.
Whether one comes is another matter.
