In a Nutshell
Burford is a medieval town described as the Gateway to the Cotswolds. It seems to manage the balance well between being a working town for its residents with the attractions required to lure the tourist trade and it offers a good mix of shops, pubs, cafes and galleries along its hilly high street. The nearby Cotswold Wildlife Park can be combined with a tour of the town to make a full day out. Parking and Pooping
Burford is situated just north of the A40, midway between Cheltenham and Oxford. There is one main car park in Burford, positioned behind the church on Church Lane and is clearly signposted at the northern end of the High St. The car park is free and has public toilets with a small charge. There are some grass verges for pup around the car park and a small green by the church as you walk towards the High St as well. If you're lucky, there is on street parking on the High St, but with shorter waiting times. If you do park on the High St, you'll see grassed verges at the top of the hill for pup. Walkies
Burford is centred around the High St that slopes down from the southern end of the town. The pavement on either side is wide and makes for easy walking with pup. Once on the High St, the only grassed areas are the verges towards the top of the hill. The High St is the main through-road, so gets a fair amount of traffic, but the wide pavements mean you don't feel you're in rush hour. There are a couple of benches dotted about, again more so at the southern end of the street, but there are pubs and cafes with pavement seating as well. The side streets are very quiet and although the pavements are narrower, the lack of traffic means this is not an issue. |
Keeping the Humans Amused
There is a good mix of quality shops on offer. Shoes, outdoor and country wear, antiques, homeware, gifts and art works etc are all catered for. At the top of the hill, off the roundabout, there is a purpose built centre offering more antiques and interior design, but it may be best to drive up and park at the centre in case you buy something heavy. The same applies to the Burford Garden Centre, on the A44 just a few yards to the east of the roundabout, which has an extensive range for the garden and home as well as a good cafe and children's store. Just a couple miles south of Burford is the Cotswold Wildlife Park. This is one of our favourite attractions to take Bella too. Its large expanse soaks up the crowds easily and it has a very open feel making it relaxing even in high season. The park has everything from rhinos and tigers to owls and bats and is dog friendly pretty much throughout. The open enclosures mean that pup can see most of the animals easily.
Chow Time
Dog friendly pubs can be found along the High St and side streets, with some offering pavement seating as well if you want to people watch. Huffkins on the High St makes great cakes, with a cafe for meals on one side and the bakery on the other, which has a dog friendly courtyard to the rear. If you're visiting the Wildlife Park, there are picnic tables close to the cafe as well as picnic areas close to the car park. |