Burford's independent High Street, from the hilltop to the Windrush

Burford is one of the few towns in the county where you can still do a proper morning's shopping without passing a chain store. The town council's own shopping page puts it plainly: Burford has some of the more individual shops in the Cotswolds. Most of them line one long street that runs down the hill from the A40 to the River Windrush, and the best way to use it is simply to start at the top and walk down.

A wool and coaching town

The shape of the High Street makes more sense with a little history. According to Burford Town Council, the town appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, and around 1090 Robert Fitzhamon granted it a charter that gave residents market rights and the freedom to lease and bequeath property. The council describes it as one of the earliest charters in the country.

Sheep farming supported the wool trade, mills, weaving and tanning, alongside flour milling, stonemasons and saddlers. Burford also sat on a busy crossroads, and the council notes that nearly every well-known coach in southern England passed through, which is why the town had so many inns. The last stage coach passed through in 1850; the railways bypassed Burford, an agricultural depression from 1870 hit the market, and it was the motor car that eventually brought visitors back.

The wool money is still visible in the parish church of St John the Baptist, one of the large Cotswold "wool churches", and at the foot of the hill in the bridge over the Windrush. Historic England's listing dates the bridge to the 15th century, heavily remodelled in 1791, and grades it II*.

Antiques

Burford has long been an antiques town, and it is still the reason many people make the trip.

Antiques at The George occupies a former coaching inn at 104 High Street, with three floors of antiques and collectables. According to the LoveAntiques dealer directory, it has been trading as an antiques centre since 1992, which makes it one of the fixed points of a visit.

The town council's shop list also names other antiques dealers on the High Street, and smaller dealers come and go along the street, so it pays to look in any open door.

Jewellery, galleries and books

The middle of the street is where browsing turns into proper shopping.

• Stone Gallery, at 93 High Street, is a family-run jewellery shop. Visit Cotswolds describes it as specialising in designer jewellery, including Georg Jensen, with much of it made by the owners.
• The Madhatter Bookshop, at 122 High Street, is the town's independent bookshop, and a slightly unusual one: it has sold hats as well as books. It will help track down out-of-print titles, hosts book clubs and has been the home of the Burford Literary Festival.

The town council's list also names several other galleries on and around the High Street. If art is your reason for coming, allow time to wander.

Cheese, bakeries and tea rooms

Burford is a good place to stock up on food you won't find in a supermarket.

• The Cotswold Cheese Company, Burford, at 113 High Street, was founded in 2006 by Jon and Lisa Goodchild with the aim of championing British cheese. It stocks a wide range of farmhouse and artisan cheeses, with a strong showing from the Cotswolds, plus continental cheeses and deli extras.
• Huffkins Burford, at 98 High Street, combines a tea room in a listed building with a craft bakery next door. It serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, and has a courtyard for warmer days.
• Bakery on the Hill, at 53 High Street, is a bakery and café known for its scones and cream teas, with seating on two floors.

Between these, a coffee, a cream tea and a parcel of cheese to take home are easily covered in one visit.

The Tolsey Museum

Partway down the High Street stands the Tolsey. It was built in the early 1500s as the town's market house, where traders paid their tolls and the Borough Court met. Today it is home to the Burford Tolsey Museum, run by volunteers.

The museum is free to enter, with donations welcome. Rather than telling one continuous story, it arranges objects from Burford's past in themed cabinets, from the Saxon village through the wool and coaching years. It is a seasonal museum, closed from January to March with reduced opening either side, and can occasionally close at short notice, so check opening times before you travel. The museum's website says it is reached only by stairs and has no toilets; visitors with access needs are asked to get in touch in advance, as the nearby Tolsey Archive in Swan Lane is more accessible and volunteers can arrange alternatives.

Down to the Windrush

Keep walking past the last of the shops and the street levels out at the river. The old bridge is narrow, so take care with traffic, and the walk back up the hill is steeper than it looked on the way down. It is worth leaving the heavier shopping, cheese included, until the return leg.

Practical notes

• Start at the top of the hill and work down; most of the shops are on the High Street itself.
• The town council says most shops open seven days a week, but independents set their own hours. Check opening times before you travel, particularly in winter.
• Access varies a great deal in old buildings. Ask the shop or museum directly if steps are a concern.

For more of the town's businesses, see the Burford town page, or browse the independent shops directory.

Cover photo: Burford High Street, by Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.