Located in north Oxfordshire, Burford is a picturesque old town on the edge of the Cotswolds. It features buildings dating back to the 16th-century as well as far-reaching views of open countryside from the top of the Windrush valley hill to where an arched medieval bridge that crosses the river awaits you.
Located just over an hour away from Bristol via the M5, Burford is full of period charm and an abundance of historic buildings. According to a tourist website, “Burford on the river Windrush was the site of a fortified ford in Anglo-Saxon times. The town grew to be an important crossroads and a very wealthy wool town and is today, very popular with visitors”.
While Burford isn’t exactly an action-packed location, it still offers quite the adventure and is known not just for its beauty but its quintessentially English town vibes with antique shops. It features a variety of places to eat and drink if you decide to spend a day exploring the area or stay the weekend in a nearby hotel to venture further.
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Places to eat, drink and shop
If you are after some English delights or perhaps an afternoon tea, take a pit stop to a local favourite – the award-winning British bakery and café tea rooms, Huffkins Cotswolds Bakery & Tearooms on the High Street. The family-run business offers everything from scones with jam and clotted cream to English teas. It provides breakfast and lunch seven days a week and you can buy festive family hampers with bottles of wine.
There is no point visiting Burford without stopping at some of the town’s traditional British pubs such as The Mermaid, an 18th-century pub with a hearty British menu or the Cotswolds Arms on Priory Lane, known for its meals and ales.
You may find a perfect little trinket or antique to take home from the Three French Hens, the Madhatter Bookshop or even a hard boiled sweet to treat your loved ones after a visit to the Burford Sweet Shop.
Attractions
According to the Cotswoldswebsite, nearby you can “stroll around the stunning Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens where you can get up close to 260 different animal species, or relax in beautiful gardens with a Victorian manor house”. And Crocodiles of the World is close by, “boasting one of the widest collections in the world”.
It’s fair to say, Burford is a must-see English location and if you choose to check out this charming little town, a weekend at the Burford House is highly recommended as a cosy staycation hotspot. And if you only opt for a day trip out, here are a few things to see and do before you leave.
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Visit the Tolsey Museum, located in the medieval market building, for a flavour of Burford’s social, cultural and industrial past.
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Admire the Church of St John the Baptist, a Grade I listed building, & the Warwick almshouses next door.
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Walk down picturesque Sheep Street, past The Bay Tree Hotel, and on to Priory Lane.
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Spot the crenelated chimneys on the Palladian Great House in Witney Street, and continue your walk to St Oswald’s church in Widford along the picturesque banks of the river.
How to get there from Bristol
By car, your journey will mostly be via the M5 then taking the A417 before heading on to the A436 and then switching to the A40 – and finally the A361 to Burford. There is parking at the Burford or the Guildenford situated near the River Windrush. If you opt to travel by train, the Cross Country or Great Western from Bristol Temple Meads will take a couple of hours.
This article was first published in November 2023 and was republished in November 2024