Perfect Potholes!
28/01/2026
Where in the Banbury and Brackley area is most perfect pothole specimen?
Its pothole season and this year is delivering a bumper crop!
They are springing up on our crater filled carriageways by the hour. But whist the most magnificent marrows and top terrific turnips can be celebrated at summer produce shows, there is no such award for the humble pothole … until now.
Banbury FM has been asking for your nomination for the area’s Perfect Potholes – ones that are formed to perfection, with the right depth and diametre to maximise its impact, aligned in the carriageway to make its presence known.
Here are just a few of the suggestion we received over three weeks.
Perfect Pothole 1 – 02/02/26
This sprawling little beauty on Howard Road in Banbury at the junction with Middleton Road has been nominated by Ruth for its sheer determination not to be filled in. In fact its spreading faster than a family of rampant rabbits!
Ruth says: “There are several and they are growing bigger every day … it was first reported on 28 December last year and has been repaired several times”.
We think its deserving of its placing in our list of Perfect Potholes – the pothole that refuses to die!
Perfect Pothole 2 – 04/02/26
Tony told us about this little treat which anyone on a tour of Banbury should pop and take a look at – although if you are heading to one of the Calthorpe Street car parks from South Bar it will find you!
Its perfectly designed to give you a little wheel rumble and sterring wheel shudder before the final crash and clank as you descend to the depths of this town centre crater.
Tony said: “The thud after hitting this was enough to wake the wife up – I won’t be coming that way again”!
Perfect Pothole 3 – 05/02/26
We introduce the Big Daddy of potholes, found by Sarah … or more precisely Sarah’s now wrecked wheel on Mill Lane as you head from the Aynho Road towards Kings Sutton.
Positioned a short distance after the M40 bridge, its smack bang in the nearside wheel’s line. The design of this tyre terror leads you gently down to its deepest point before a cliff face of an edge out faces you. The noise of the bang can only be equalled by the screaming noise you make when you hear the cost of replacing the tyre and wheel and getting the tracking sorted.
Sarah said: “I was on my way to see my friend in Kings Sutton. Instead I saw the RAC man and a [rude word] great big dent in my credit card bill”.
Perfect Pothole 4 – 06/02/26
This little treasure is one of many in Barney Flintstone Way … aka the Southam Road in Banbury – a carriageway where you are spoilt for pothole choice, with only a few patches of tarmac interupting the flow of craters.
Deb noted that “if you drove into it, you wouldn’t get out”. We suspect there are fish swimming around in this one and divers searching for other drivers who didn’t swerve out of the way in time.
Perfect Pothole 5 – 09/02/26
Thanks to Steve for nominating this piece of pothole artwork on Beaumont Road in Banbury. We’re calling it “a tale of two carriageways”. On one side of the road is a moon-crater experience which, as Steve says: “This is a monster pot hole, which will 100% damage your car if hit”.
Meanwhile on the opposite side of the road the utopian and rare experience of an unblemished surface.
The powers that be have even drawn a nice little line around the pothole feature to highlight its magnificence. Banksy would be proud!
Perfect Pothole 6 – 10/02/26
Matt spotted this little beauty on the road between Fritwell and Souldern. Its so deep we’re not sure if its a pothole or a former mining site.
Its another from the “gentle-in smash-out ” family, whereby you glide gently into its depths before smashing your way out with a tyre ripping, wheel wrecking bang.
If you fancy a nice drive out in our local countryside and come across this one is a drive out you – and your bank balance – won’t forget.
Perfect Pothole 7 – 11/02/26
Potholes aren’t just for quiet country roads, local streets and 30mph limits. No, you can even find some of them being cultivated on trunk routes where the whole pothole experience is taken to a new level at higher speeds.
Take this drawn out tyre trembler on the B4100 between Adderbury and Aynho, just past the garage as you approach the Kings Sutton turn.
Amy said: “Its a perfect example of a double whammy – it blew out my tyre in one swoop. It was over 15cm deep and 1metre long”.
Perfect Pothole 8 – 12/02/26
We introduce “school run pothole”, spotted by Paul as he dropped his kids off for a day of education in Adderbury. The crater on Deenes Close clearly has signs of recent excavations.
We understand, for safety reasons, local people are considering having a lifebouy ring attached to a nearby lampost incase anyone falls in.
Paul said: “Its just where the parents drops their kids off so easily hidden. The speed its growing at I’m thinking of making my kids wear arm bands so they can swim across to school.”
Perfect Pothole 9 – 13/02/26
This a a real Friday-the-13th shocker, submitted by Emma, who found what can only be described as a water filled asphalt canyon on Easington Road in Banbury. Its HUGE and will need around three lorry loads of materials to fill it in.
Rumour has it if you drive into this wheel-swallowing, suspension-killing crater the beaches of Australia can be found on the other side.
Surely this has to be Oxfordshire County Council’s finest carriageway chasm?
Emma said: “It looks more like a lake! People are even using AI to add dolphins … but it’s dangerous and nothing is being done although heavily reported”.
Perfect Pothole 10 – 16/02/26
We present the Neithrop Avenue pothole pair. Barbara spotted these by the junction with Pinhill Road.
Designed to give you the perfect “tank ride” experience, these two are lined up to hit both nearside and offside wheels at the same time.
Barbara said: “It shakes you to bits! God knows what its doing to the car.”
Perfect Pothole 11 – 17/02/26
We present Undercover Pothole, hiding away under a puddle and pretending to be a traffic cone.
This little beauty, suggested by Lucy is on the Astrop Road heading out of Kings Sutton towards Charlton. Its got mystery – you have no idea how deep it is; its multitasking – taking on the role of lake and cone storage; and its priceless – as will be the look on your face with the repair bill if you hit this water filled chasm.
Lucy said: “It sums up 2026 perfectly.”
Perfect Pothole 12 – 18/02/26
Take a journey Wardington way and meet Earthquake Pothole – so named because a huge gaping chasm has opened up along a stretch of the A361 and you’ll think an earthquake is happening if you hit it.
This one is so big and established its even delevoped its own internal pothole.
Barry found it on the bend of the A361 by the Hare & Hounds and sent us the nomination. He said: “It has a pothole within a pothole! It follows the bend and is around 4 inches deep. That’s special, that is.”
Perfect Pothole 13 – 19/02/26
Welcome to Bone-Shaker Alley, otherwise known as The Astrop Road to Middleton Cheney. This is a pothole infestation – we need the asphalt equivalent of the Pest Control person.
Ben said, “Thorpe Park has nothing on this. You’re tossed one way and the other all the way.” And just like a good theme park ride, you might even feel queezy afterwards if you have to face the car repair bill.
This one needs “enter at your own risk” signs at both ends of the road.
Perfect Pothole 14 – 20/02/26
Look at that! A Perfect Pothole specimin growing in the village of Hanwell. David spotted it on Main Street, or rather the front wheel of David’s grocery deliver van spotted it. If you had broken eggs delivered this week here’s the reason.
David said: “I didn’t see it until too late. There was loud bang and the van lurched over – I wasn’t sure it would stay upright.”
