Parking at the lower end of town you are close to St John the Baptist Church with its impressive spire and fascinating interior including the standout Tansley tomb. The story goes that Lawrence Tansley, a lord and judge, was so mean to the local people that the church refused to install a memorial to him after his death in 1628. His wife had other ideas and had the large tomb built in St John’s anyway. Their daughter, Elizabeth Cary, seen here, penned “The Tragedy of Miriam” in 1613. The Tansleys were so hated that locals burned effigies of them on the tomb every year and the pair were said to haunt Burford in a burning carriage, stopped only by a priest capturing their souls in a bottle and setting it in the nearby River Windrush. Quite a tale. Cromwell’s army was imprisoned here, too.

Enjoy Burford’s High Street, lined with shops, cafes, inns, and antique shops such as Antiques at The George, with three floors of antiques. Also lose yourself in the Madhatter Bookshop and follow your nose to the Cotswold Cheese Shop.  For a contemporary taste of the Cotswolds head up to the Burford Garden Company, a large shopping complex bursting with desirables. Yes, this inviting place has garden plants, bulbs and garden must-haves, but it also has a gorgeous range of homewares, cashmere throws, rugs, cushions, pottery and tableware. There’s a decadent and colourful food section, kitchen and dining items, clothes, cards, and all kinds of decorative pieces. It’s a showcase of the ‘modern Cotswolds’, a place where locals shop.