30/05/2026
We shared this story last year, but with many new riders following the page — and the 2026 event now just four weeks away — it felt like a good time to tell it again.
Fourteen years ago, three members of the Rotary Club of Banbury Cherwell sat down with a simple question:
How could we create an event that brought people together while raising money for local causes?
What followed was a meeting with Lord and Lady Saye and Sele, who generously agreed to allow riders to start and finish in the grounds of Broughton Castle.
With support from Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club, the first routes were planned and the first riders set off.
Fourteen years later, the Broughton Castle Sportive is still going strong.
Since 2010, the event has raised more than £106,000 for local charities and community projects, thanks to the riders, volunteers, supporters and local organisations that make it possible.
One person who has been there almost from the beginning is Lord Saye and Sele, who has ridden in every Sportive except one since that very first year.
The event itself is planned and delivered entirely by volunteers. Months before riders arrive, routes are reviewed, feed stations organised, signage prepared, safety plans updated, and countless details worked through behind the scenes.
On Sunday 28 June, riders will once again roll out from Broughton Castle and into the Cotswolds.
We're proud of what the event has become, and grateful to everyone who has been part of the journey.
