Burford, Oxfordshire travel and accommodation information |
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Burford"The Gateway to the Cotswolds"
The lovely town of Burford occupies a position on the meandering River Windrush. Burford is built on a fairly steep hill, and the view from the top of the hill looking down the High Street to the river is one of the classic panoramas of the Cotswolds. A lovely 3 arched medieval bridge crosses the Windrush, and though Burford itself does not occupy the northern bank, a walk across the bridge is rewarded by wonderful views across watermeadows to the spire of St. John the Baptist parish church. The name of the town gives a clue as to its past. It comes from a union of the words "burh", meaning a defended town, and "ford" meaning a river crossing. Though we are not sure when the area was first settled, we know that there was a small community of 200 here at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086. Shortly after, Burford became the first Cotswold town to be granted a market charter - the exact year is uncertain, but it was prior to 1107. Architecture
A short walk down Priory Lane leads to the old priory, now a private Benedictine monastery. The priory has a chequered past; it was here that Nell Gwynn and Charles II met in secret. Their son was later created Earl of Burford. Turn off High Street at Lawrence Street, where a very short walk leads past the old Burford Grammar School, founded in 1571, to Church Green, a surprisingly open space before the gates of St John the Baptist church. Across Church Green is a lovely row of almshouses, erected in 1457 by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick ("The Kingmaker"). Turn off High Street onto Sheep Street, which leads past a lovely terrace of cottages to The Lamb Inn, thought to be the oldest inn in Burford. The Tourist Information Centre is next door. St John the Baptist church
Despite the truculent vicar's efforts, sizeable areas of medieval wall-paintings remain. Even more interesting is the small carving high on the side of the tower; this is thought to be pre-Christian in origin, and dated to c.100 AD.
The most notable aspect of the church is the memorial to Sir Lawrence and Lady Tanfield (1628), to found in St. Catherine's Chapel. I use the word "notable" with care, as the Tanfield monument is something you will either love or hate. Sir Lawrence was Lord of the Manor in Burford, and Chief Baron of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. He was reviled locally for his high-handed interference in local affairs, and had a reputation for greed and corrupt practices in office. Indeed, for two centuries after his death, Burford residents gleefully burned an effigy of Lord Tanfield each year. Suffice it to say that only his wife would have thought a memorial necessary. To accomplish this she peremptorily took over St Catherine's Chapel, and erected there a quite astonishing memorial structure that is equal parts ostentatious, overwhelming, and garish. That said, the carving is wonderful, and there is no doubting the craftsmanship of those responsible for carrying out Lady Tanfield's orders. Stoop down to look under the monument and you will see a representation of a gaunt skeleton, a reminder, one presumes, of the fate that awaits us all, even those as rich as Sir Lawrence. On the north side of the north aisle look for the tomb of Edmund Harman (1569). On the side of the tomb is a carving thought to be the earliest example in Europe depicting Amazonian Indians.
Burford in the Civil War See the Burford Photo Gallery for more views and information on what to see and do in Burford. Parking Tourist Information Centre Nearby
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