Car-free adventures aroundBurfordThe Cotswolds
On the banks of the pretty River Windrush, Burford is a beautiful market town full of independent shops and cafés. You could visit a huge wildlife park, with rhinos grazing in the gardens of an old Cotswold manor house, or stop for cake in a flowery garden centre; take a ride on a vintage bus or a stroll along the river to visit waterside pubs and ancient churches. The only downside to a day out in Burford is that it can get quite full of cars, so why not be part of the solution? Have a carefree, car-free visit and travel by train, bus, bike or foot.
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1. How do I get to Burford without a car?
There are lots of ways to reach Burford by public transport. Buses between Oxford and Cheltenham stop at the top end of the town on their scenic journey. Two regular buses from Witney run via different routes, passing close to other interesting sights in the area. And, if you’re travelling at the weekend, you can take a fabulous heritage bus service 11.
- Bus S2 leaves Oxford’s Gloucester Green bus station (a short stroll from the railway station) every couple of hours every day and runs via Witney. In Cheltenham, it leaves from the Royal Wells bus station (a short bus ride or slightly longer walk from the railway station). The bus takes just under an hour to reach Burford from either Oxford or Cheltenham. It goes through some lovely towns and villages and there are wide Cotswold views from the windows in both directions.
- The bus stops near the Burford roundabout on the A40 at the stop called Oxford Road Layby. If you need refreshments or somewhere to wait, The Prince of Burford is a big, friendly pub, close to the bus stop, serving elegant food and Butcombe beers.
- Buses 233 and 234 leave from Witney’s Market Square (Stop B) every half an hour between them (hourly on Sundays) and run all the way down into Burford. You can reach Witney on regular bus S7 from Oxford or Hanborough railway stations.
- If you’re heading to Burford car-free at the weekend from May to September, bus 11 runs every couple of hours from Moreton-in-Marsh railway station, stopping at Burford’s Oxford Road Layby. It’s a heritage vehicle that will be a blast from the past for some bus travellers! It runs through charming towns and villages including Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water. And a day tripper ticket will get you local discounts like 10% off in Huffkins‘ cafes.
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2. Stroll around the town
Once you reach Burford, the best way to get around is on foot – probably faster than the cars, which are often stuck in traffic jams! The Town Leaflet has a map, which shows you where some of the most interesting landmarks are.
- You can visit the interesting Church of St John the Baptist with its historic links to the Levellers’ movement, its thirteenth-century Lady Chapel, ornate memorials, and radiant stained-glass. Don’t miss the neighbouring alms houses, or the lovely riverside paths around the water meadows nearby. These offer views of the church spire rising over the long grass and wildflowers.
- Drop into the free Tolsey Museum to learn more about Burford’s history. The Tolsey takes its name from the early-Tudor market building it’s housed in, which stands at the crossroads and was once used for collecting tolls. Look out for Roman carvings, royal charters, corn dollies, wine jugs, gingerbread moulds and a lovingly-crafted antique dolls’ house showing life in a Regency mansion. There are artefacts from Burford’s many occupations down the centuries: masonry, bell-founding, farming, brewing…
- Afterwards, you could stroll down picturesque Sheep Street onto Priory Lane. The town is full of picturesque old houses with roses or honeysuckle growing over the doors. There are pollarded lime trees, benches to rest on, and views across the rolling Cotswold fields.
- And don’t miss exploring the independent shops and cafés. Have tea and cake at Huffkins, where you can get 10% off with a day tripper ticket for Bus 11. Check out the fabrics, furniture and artisan pickles at Amanda Hanley by Design or pick up something to read on the train home from The Madhatter Bookshop.
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3. Head to a pub ... and stay the night?
Burford has some great pubs too, from The Prince of Burford at the top of the hill to The Angel on Witney Street. One of many great things about travelling car-free is that you can stop off for a drink if you’d like to. For a pub-crawling walk that takes you out of town along the River Windrush, see 6 below.
- You can even stay the night – in Eco Chic Cottages up the road (see 4 below) or in one of the town’s many characterful old coaching inns like The Bay Tree Hotel or The Lamb Inn.
- Artily-decorated, BULL Burford serves innovative tasting menus and drinks made with foraged ingredients. Sip inventive pineapple mayweed margaritas or fig leaf lemonade, made with leaves from the fig tree growing over the pub’s own garden wall.
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4. Burford Garden Co and Eco Chic Cottages
Not just for gardeners, but with treats for everyone, the sprawling Burford Garden Co, is in walking distance of Burford with a bus stop outside. You can stroll through banks of orchids, agapanthus, lavender and scented roses, and have coffee and cake in the airy café. Don’t miss the fresh fruit tarts! You can also buy local produce from a cornucopian farm shop.
- There’s even an art gallery on site, selling striking garden sculptures as well as paintings in a shifting show of talent. Or you can browse for furniture, clothes, books… The children’s collection is particularly fun: Daleks and carousel horses guard the entrance and, inside, there’s a tardis from Doctor Who that was auctioned off by the studio.
- How do I get to Burford Garden Co without a car? Walk, cycle, or take the bus. Bus 233 towards Witney leaves hourly from Burford Primary School or war memorial and stops three or four minutes later outside the garden centre. Alternatively, it’s about a mile’s walk or bike ride from the middle of Burford to the garden centre. Turn left at the top of the town along the main road (there’s a wide pavement). Just after Burford Lodge, turn right up Shilton Road and keep going until you reach the big sign for Burford Garden Co on your left.
- With so much to do in Burford, you might want to stay for a while. Eco Chic Cottages are two idyllic self-catering options in the pretty village of Shilton, a couple of miles further along the road from the garden centre. Bus 233 stops at the bus stop called Shilton Turn on the road nearby. From here, it’s a leafy, five-minute stroll along a quiet, tree-lined lane to the cottages.
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4. Have a wild day out
There are two amazing family-friendly attractions just outside Burford: Cotswold Wildlife Park and Crocodiles of the World. They both offer the chance to come to face-to-face with extraordinary creatures from around the globe. You can even book a range of Zoo Keeper experiences, where you can help with feeding and looking after the animals.
- Cotswold Wildlife Park has grown to be one of the biggest zoological collections in the country. You can see lions and giraffes, penguins and ostriches. You can meet lemurs in a walkthrough Madagascan wilderness and snakes, including the giant green anaconda, in the huge reptile house, as well as lizards and frogs and lots more.
- How do I get to Cotswold Wildlife Park without a car? Unless you have a bike, it’s a little bit tricky to reach the park entirely car-free; it’s on a fast main road, two miles south of Burford, with no bus service. But a taxi from The Prince of Burford costs about £20 if you can book it from Go Green Taxis, who are based in Witney.
- At Crocodiles of the World, you can see all kinds of interesting animals including at least a dozen types of crocs. And, to get even closer, you can book a Keeper Experience to help with feeding and care. You can opt to work with the Giant Galapagos tortoise, the Komodo dragons, the meerkats or even the Binturong “bearcats”!
- How do I get to Crocodiles of the World without a car? Again, it’s a little bit tricky and a taxi might be simplest. It will cost around £17. You could cycle there and, if you’re feeling very adventurous, you could walk across the fields from the Farmer’s Dog (see 6 below for buses there). It does mean crossing the busy A40 so be prepared to wait for a gap in the traffic, but otherwise it’s a pleasant walk of just over a mile. You could even walk from Burford along the river (see 6 below) and book a taxi back.
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5. Cycling and tours
Here are two more possible ways to get around the area without a car.
- Undiscovered Cotswolds offers small-group minibus tours around the most beautiful towns and villages. They also offer bespoke private itineraries so you can prioritise history of wildlife, cultural highlights or cosy pubs or a combination of them all.
- Go Cotswold Tours also run small-group minibus tours in the area and offer a free drink to car-free travellers.
- Exploring by bicycle means you can cover more ground than on foot and reach places that are hard to get to by bus. This cycle tour through the countryside west of Burford takes you through picturesque waterside villages like Bibury and Northleach without adding to the traffic.
- TY Cycles in Chipping Norton hire out bikes and can deliver them.
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6. A riverside walk
You can reach some extraordinary churches and several very different pubs via some beautiful paths through flowering meadows near the littler River Windrush. This gem of a four-mile walk is a lovely way to spend a sunny afternoon, but it can be muddy or even flooded in winter.
- Start by getting the bus to The Farmer’s Dog. This massive “pub” opened by TV personality Jeremy Clarkson is hugely popular. Hundreds of people converge on it, especially at weekends. So, depending on whether or not you love crowds, you’ll either want to book ahead and visit this one or hurry on down the hill to find some quieter watering holes further on…
- How do I get to The Farmer’s Dog by bus? Catch bus 234 (or heritage Bus 11 at the weekend) from the Oxford Road Layby. Get off again four minutes later, just after the next roundabout, and walk down the lane marked Asthall for ¾ mile. This lane can be a bit busy these days with people driving to The Farmer’s Dog, but don’t worry. You’ll soon leave the cars behind. The walk follows the first part of this route.
- Follow the lane into Asthall to find The Three Horseshoes with wood-fired pizzas and umbrella-studded garden. Cross the lovely old stone bridge nearby over the Windrush. Turn immediately left onto the riverside path and continue another ¾ mile to Swinbrook.
- The Swan Inn is a wisteria-hung pub with fancy food and bedrooms in the stable block. The Mitford sisters are buried in the churchyard of St Mary’s Swinbrook. There’s an extraordinary tomb inside the church with marble-carved Elizabethans, stacked up and lying on their sides.
- St Oswald’s Widford is a tiny church in the fields with Roman ruins below its floor and a mosaic just under the chancel. The church itself has elements from several centuries, including fourteenth-century wall paintings and Georgian box pews.
- Carry on along the river and Witney Street to arrive back in Burford with lots more pubs to choose from (see 3 above). Whether you opt for a bitter in BULL Burford or a latte in The Lamb Inn, you’ll find friendly, characterful places all over town.
Explore Burford car-free and you can help keep the area green and pleasant.
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For more car-free adventures in the area...
Take a look at our guides to Kingham, Oxford, Cheltenham, Woodstock and The Cotswolds.
