Burford Guide
Burford in Oxfordshire is called the "Gateway to the Cotswolds". In fact, Burford was the first Cotswolds town to be given a charter (in 1087 AD) and thus became an official market town. Burford is even mentioned in the Domesday Book from the early Norman period.
Burford History
The name 'Burford' may mean 'the ford by the hill' and that 'hill' provided excellent pasture for the sheep and stone for its masons which were both important to the town's historical development.
Henry Neale had a bell foundry here in the 17th century and other founders were also active in the town. Burford bells can be found in several churches across the area.
Nowadays, the town has a population of around 1,400 inhabitants.
Burford Attractions
The River Windrush flows around the town and can be crossed rather than 'ford'ed by the historic Burford Bridge.
The exact age of this bridge is unknown but it was repaired in 1322 AD. It is also known that Queen Elizabeth I was greeted at this bridge in 1574 AD by local luminary Simon Wisdom among others.
St John the Baptist Church was built between 1160 and 1495 AD. The church has an interesting role in English history. In May 1649, 340 out of 800 troopers in the Parliamentary Army who had mutinied in Salisbury were confined here.
Among these men, three leaders were identified and executed in the churchyard on May 17th of that year. These mutinous troops had demanded to be paid before being sent to Ireland as part of Oliver Cromwell's invasion force and for steps to be taken toward a representative democracy. These troops were called the "Levellers". One Leveller, Anthony Sedley, carved his name on the font in the church.
The interior of St John the Baptist Church in Burford is particularly striking for its richness. The church has been described as the "queen of Oxfordshire".
Among the fascinating interior elements of the St John the Baptist Church in Burford are the numerous plaques detailing donations by local townspeople.
Levellers' Day is held each year on the Saturday nearest to 17 May to commemorate the events of 1649. The values of democracy, equality and religious freedom are celebrated with a parade, music, song and political debate. The festival began in 1975.
The Tolsey Museum is housed in a historic 16th-century market house and exhibits local arts and crafts, antique clocks and watches, documents including the town's charter, photographs and the Keble Mortar.
Burford Golf Club lies just south of the A40. The 18-hole course is set in stunning countryside. The historic course dates from the 1930s.
Churches
In addition to the St John the Baptist Church, there is a Catholic church at 171 The Hill, the Church of St John Fisher and St Thomas More.
Burford Baptist Church is on Witney Street close to Burford Methodist Church on High Street, housed in a baroque style townhouse.
Burford Priory is a former priory and Augustinian hospital. It was remodelled into a country house in the Tudor and Jacobean periods. It is now owned by Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of Rupert Murdoch, the press baron.
Warwick Hall is the local community centre with a lovely garden cafe - Café Fifteen - which opens Monday to Saturday.
Shopping
Burford's shops include a Coop, antique shops, art galleries and several teashops/cafes.
Antiques @ The George is housed in a former Cotswold coaching inn on Burford High Street. The inn dates back to the 14th century. Both King Charles II and Samuel Pepys are thought to have stayed here.
Nearby Reavley Chemist at 124 High Street prides itself as being the oldest pharmacy in England. A public house until 1734 it then became an apothecary serving the town.
Madhatter Bookshop at 122 High Street sells both books and hats, hence the name.
Also on the High Street are the quirky Three French Hens giftshop, The Sweet Shop selling endless varieties of traditional sweets and The Cotswold Cheese Company for local Cotswold cheeses and other delicious foods and drinks including wine, olives and other deli items.
Pubs
The Lamb Inn is an historic pub in the village with a renown restaurant and bar serving contemporary English food with an award-winning list of real ales and fine wines. Many visitors complement the excellent service on offer.
The Lamb Inn dates from the early 18th century and has 17 beautifully furnished rooms. The Lamb Inn was the winner of the Condé Nast Johansens 'Most Excellent Inn' Award for 2012 and is a recommended place to stay for visits to the Cotswolds or nearby Oxford.
You can book rooms at The Lamb here.
Other pubs in the village include The Angel at Burford and the Cotswold Arms on the High Street. The Royal Oak on Witney Street is in a Grade II Listed Building and also offers rooms and good food. The Golden Pheasant also has rooms and a restaurant serving traditional British food as well as Italian dishes.
Around Burford
The Cotswolds is around 40 km across and 145 km long. The Cotswolds stretches from Stratford-upon-Avon to Bath.
Located eight miles north of Cheltenham, Sudeley Castle is a honey-colored stone edifice complete with banqueting hall. It was once owned by Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII.
Typical Cotswold towns include Chipping Norton, Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold. One Cotswold town, Chipping Campden, is well-known for being the home of the Arts and Crafts movement, founded by William Morris at the end of the 19th century.
Four miles from Chipping Campden lies Hidcote Manor. It features one of the most inventive gardens of the 20th century.
The Slaughters are another Cotswold treat. The visitor should take the easy, mile-long stroll between the twin villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter. The path runs beside the River Eye past scenic cottages and around an old flour mill, now converted into a tea and craft shop and a museum. By the way, the name "Slaughter" has nothing to do with meat production but rather derives from the Anglo Saxon word for mud.
Lacock has featured atmospherically in numerous films, from Harry Potter to Cranford and Pride and Prejudice. Visitors shouldn't miss Lacock Abbey, a medieval dwelling turned country house that also celebrates the work of its former resident, Henry Fox Talbot, who invented the photographic negative.
Bourton-on-the-Water is a very popular town in the Cotswolds and draws hordes of visitors to its beautifully crafted Model Village, the Bourton Model Railway, and the Dragonfly Maze.
Cheltenham abounds in elegant architecture with Regency terraces and swirling wrought-iron flourishes along Suffolk Square and Queen's Parade on Parabola Road.
Cheltenham also offers an absorbing art gallery and museum called The Wilson, named after Edward Wilson, who was born in the town and who died in 1912 on Scott's Antarctic expedition. The permanent collection includes a renowned exhibition on the Arts and Crafts movement.
The Cheltenham Festival in March is a highlight of the National Hunt horse racing calendar and brings visitors from all over the country.
Burford Hotels
Places to stay seem to outnumber restaurants and pubs in the village. Many are housed in historic buildings allowing for a rewarding and memorable stay.
There are places to suit all budgets in Burford including hotels and B&B's.
Choose from the Golden Pheasant Hotel on High Street, the Bay Tree Hotel is set in a 16th-century residence, or the Cotswold Gateway Hotel, a former 18th century inn.
Burford House is a 17th-century Cotswolds stone inn offering six bespoke designed bedrooms and a variety of meals including afternoon tea.
See here for a complete listing of places to stay in Burford.
The ivy-clad Swan Hotel is a 17th-century former coaching inn that offers private trout fishing on the River Coln. The Swan Hotel offers 22 cozily-furnished rooms and a noted restaurant serving locally sourced food with a seasonal twist.
Cotteswold House, Cotswolds Riverside Cottage and Rosebank Barn are all recommended cottages or holiday homes to stay.
See here for a complete listing of places to stay in Bibury.
Cotswolds Access - Getting To The Cotswolds
The village of Burford is northeast of Cirencester just off the A40. Burford is south of Stow-on-the-Wold on the A424. From Bath, drive north on the A4, A429 and the B4425. From Burford, the picturesque village of Bibury is 10 miles southwest on the B4425.
The 233 Stagecoach bus connects Marlborough School, Blenheim Palace and Burford stopping on Sheep Street. The 234 Stagecoach bus runs between Whitney Market Square and Burford Primary School.
By Rail: All rail service from London to the Cotswolds departs from Paddington Station, which has its own London Underground station.
To travel to the Cotswolds from London by train takes about 1 ½ hours and trains run every hour, 7 days a week. Although rail services do not cover the whole of the Cotswolds, it is possible to travel to and from Bath, Cheltenham, Stratford, Chippenham, Gloucester, Kemble, Moreton-in-Marsh Station, Kingham and Oxford.
By Car: Driving from London to the Cotswolds takes about 2 hours and utilizes well sign-posted major roads. The M4 motorway provides easy access to Bath, Castle Combe and the South Cotswolds. The M40 motorway provides access to Oxford and Stratford and the North Cotswolds.
By Coach: National Express offers coach service to the Cotswolds. The main route to the Cotswolds from London starts at Victoria Coach Station and takes about 3 - 4 hours. Coaches run regularly from London to the Cotswolds, although there is no service on Sundays. The main coach stops in and around the Cotswolds are at Bath, Bourton-on-the-Water, Cheltenham, Chippenham, Gloucester, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Oxford, Stow-on-the-Wold, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stroud.
Cotswolds Maps
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