Burford

With its medieval bridge, old stone houses and attractive Tudor and Georgian frontages, Burford is justifiably one of the most picturesque towns in England. Often referred to as the ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’, the town was originally a fortified Anglo-Saxon ford which later grew to be an important regional crossroads and wealthy wool town.

The 16th century Tolsey building was the medieval merchants meeting place and now hows a delightful local museum (The Tolsey Museum) illustrating the town's social and industrial past. The fine church is a real gem with many interesting memorials charting some of Burford's great families. There is also the signature, on the baptisimal font, of Antony Sedley, one of the Levellers besieged in the church in 1649 - three of the ringleaders were executed by Cromwell's men in the churchyard.

Little changed over the centuries, Burford is popular with visitors, both for its beauty and history but also for its shopping and antiques, and for the wide variety of places to eat, with restaurants, pubs and teashops.

Search for attractions in the Burford area

Several walks in the Burford area can be downloaded:
Great Barrington - Burford (pdf 136k)
Villages of the Windrush Valley (pdf 163k)
The River Windrush (pdf 50k)

For more information visit our downloadable walks page