Burford

The Town

As buyers agents will tell you, idyllic Burford is often described as the ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’. It lies 18 miles to the west of Oxford and 22 miles to the southeast of Cheltenham. As our property search company can confirm, Burford is known for its pretty stone houses, Tudor and Georgian-fronted homes, and picturesque medieval bridge over the River Windrush, all of which will appeal to a property buyer seeking rural charm, peace, and quiet. At the last count, as our Recoco property finder can confirm, the population was just over 3,000.

Transport

Keen to include the town in your property search but not sure where Burford is located? Your Recoco buying agent can point out its location on the main A40 road that runs from London through the Cotswolds to Wales. Burford is approximately halfway between Oxford and Cheltenham. The nearest railway stations include Shipton under Wychwood; our property buying agent can confirm that services from Charlbury are slightly more frequent. If you’re a property buyer who needs to know the location of the nearest airports, ask our real estate buyers agent about routes to Brize Norton, Oaksey Park Airfield, Gloucestershire, and Birmingham International.

History 

Ask our property search company if you’d like a potted history of the town, founded in the middle of the Saxon period. In Old English “burh” means fortified town or town on a hill, while ford indicates the crossing of a river. A new town was built just after the Norman conquest, and gradually became an important crossroads for the region. Much of Burford’s wealth was due to wool; and our Recoco buying agent can also outline how the town flourished in the coaching era, although trade decreased with the coming of the railways. During the English Civil War, the Grade I listed Church of St John the Baptist was a prison. In 1649, a group of soldiers mutinied and marched to meet other Levellers, as they were known, close to Banbury. Near Burford, troops from the government surrounded the mutineers; around 340 mutineers were imprisoned in the church. Graffiti and carvings from the event can still be seen, ask your Recoco property finder to show you the location.

Education

For a property buyer who likes to factor in school options when it comes to their property search, Burford County Primary School is the town’s only primary; mixed comprehensive Burford School is the state secondary. Buyers agents can point you towards independent schools nearby, including Cotswold Montessori Preschool and Daycare, Windrush Valley, Burford Boarding School, and The King’s School in Witney.

Leisure and Events

With a lively events calendar, you’ll not be short of things to do. Ask your Recoco buying agent about the Burford Festival every two years, or the annual Levellers Day, celebrating the closest weekend to the English Civil War era mutiny.

Your Recoco property finder can show you the location of the town’s independent shops. The town has several attractive walks and cycle routes nearby. Or ask our real estate buyers agent about attractions in the area like Burford Priory.

Celebrity Connections

J. Meade Falkner, the author of the novel Moonfleet, has strong connections with the town, and he is one of those commemorated in the Whall window in the Church of St John the Baptist. As our property buying agent can confirm, the Cotswolds are home to celebrities from many backgrounds, from senior royalty to actors, comedians, and TV presenters. Check with your real estate buyers agent about famous names who chose to make their homes in the area include Kate Winslet, Keith Allen, and Jeremy Clarkson.

Foodies’ Corner

If you’d like to mull over your property search options over good food, ask our property buying agent about Burford eateries. Some of the town’s historic hostelries were known to King Charles II and Nell Gwynn and, later, Nelson. The Mermaid Inn, the Angel at Burford, The Cotswold Arms, The Royal Oak, and the Lamb Inn all offer traditional English fare, while Huffkins offers afternoon tea and delightful pastries to take away. Other options are the Priory, Lynwood and Co, The Bay Tree Hotel, or the Carpenters Arms. And for those with a very sweet tooth, ask your buyers agents for details of the traditional Sweet Shop. Or call into Mrs Bumbles Delicatessen for the makings of a delicious picnic to incorporate into your property search.

Fun Fact

Ask our property search company about Reavley Chemist, the oldest pharmacy in England – it’s been a chemist since 1734 (an apothecary, back in the day).