Aynho is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire on the edge of the Cherwell valley 6 miles (9.7 km) south-east of the north Oxfordshire town of Banbury and 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Brackley. It is the southernmost settlement in Northamptonshire.
Aynho was founded in Anglo-Saxon times. The name is derived from Aienho, Old English for a spring, grove or hill. The circular village was surrounded by a defensive wall, parts of which can still be seen. In the 11th century Asgar, a Saxon thegn and standard bearer to Edward the Confessor owned the manor of Aynho. After the Norman conquest of England he was forced to cede the manor to Geoffrey de Mandeville, whose family retained it for several generations. Later the manor passed through the Clavering, Neville, Fitzalan, Shakerley, Tracy and Marmion families.
Aynho is a picturesque village with a number of historic buildings, including the Church of St Michael, which dates back to the 12th century. The village is also home to Aynho Park, a 17th-century country house that is now owned by the luxury hotel chain RH.
Aynho is a popular tourist destination, due to its attractive scenery and its proximity to the Cotswolds and Oxford. The village is also home to a number of businesses, including a pub, a restaurant, a shop and a gallery.
Along with its neighbour Croughton 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east, it is one of the two southernmost villages in Northamptonshire, and thus is often regarded as part of the informal area of Banbury.
