Library | Location | England | Oxfordshire | Burford

Universal British Directory, 1791

Burford

Is a large market-town, distant 71 miles North West of London, 50 from Bath, 54 from Bristol, 41 from Worcester, 51 from Birmingham, and 29 from Gloucester, to each of which places it communicates by a good turnpike-road.

Here are said to be sold the best rugs, and here is also a good manufactory of duffels.

It has, fot the convenience of travellers, two capital inns, the George and Bull; besides several samller ones.

Burford is famous for saddles, and, lying near the downs, draws great profit from the horse-races, which are frequent here. At this place was convened a synod in 685, against the error of the British churches in the observance of Easter. At Battle-edge, near this twon, Cuthred, King of the West Saxons, beat Ethelbald, King of the Mercians, in a pitched battle, and threw off his yoke. The inhabitants celebrate yearly, on Midsummer-eve, a kind of festival, which, they say, commenced in honour of this battle. Here the learned Dr. Heylin (descended originally from an ancient family in Wales) was born.

Being situate in a fine corn-country, a large market for that article, and cattle, is held here every Saturday. There are also two chartered fairs, on the 5th of July and 25th of September.

The church is a large handsome fabric, with a very fine spire. The patron of the vicarage is the bishop of Oxford; the present incumbent the Hon. Francis Knollis, M. A. and one of his Majesty's acting justices of the peace for the county of Oxford. John Lenthal, Esq. a descendant of the famous speaker to the long parliament, is lord of the manor, and resides at the priory near the town, which was a religious house belonging to the abbey of Keynsham, in the county of Somerset.

A coach from Gloucester to London passes through Burford, and takes up passengers and parcels every evening at seven o'clock, from the Bull inn to the Gloucester coffee-house, Piccadilly, and the Angel inn, behind St. Clement's. Fare one guinea. - A coach also goes every night about ten o'clock, from the Red Horse to the Bolt and Tun, Fleet-street. Fare 17s. - These coaches leave London each day at noon, and reach Burford early next morning, when they proceed to Gloucester. - Brindle's waggon sets out every Monday morning, through Bampton and Abingdon, to the George, Smithfield, and returning from thence on Thursdays, reaches Burford on Saturdays. The Gloucester waggons take up goods at the Lamb inn, in Sheep-street; meet every Tuesday, coming from and going to the King's Head, Old Change. Once a week a waggon goes through from Bristol to Oxford, which conveys goods to Bath, and into the West of England.

The post-office shuts every evening at half past six o'clock; the letters are delivered every morning by nine.

A turnpike-road has been lately projected to Lechdale, in Gloucestershire and from thence to join the Marlborough and other roads at Swindon, in Wilts; which, when completed, will make the turnpikes to every part of England center in this town; on which account, together with the excellent accommodations its inns afford, it attracts the attention of travellers, and is become the usual road from London and Oxford, to Wrcester, as well as Gloucester. It is 57 miles to Salisbury through Swindon. The river Windrush runs at the bottom of the town, and parts Bampton and Chadlington hundreds. The forest of Wichwood is rather more than a mile, Chipping-Norton 10, Stow 10, on the great North road, (no town between,) over a heath called Black-heath, to which, from the bridge, is above a mile and an half on an ascent.

Here is a free grammar-school, over which is the town-hall, wherein the assizes for the county of Oxford were held in the year 1636. This town formerly sent a member to parliament. There is a meeting-house for Quakers and one Dissenters.

It had a charter from Henry II. granting it all the customs of the townsmen of Oxford, and, though it lost most of them, it still retains the appearance of a corporation, having a common seal, and governed by two bailiffs, and burgesses, two constables, four tythingmen, &c.

The follwoing are the principal inhabitants, viz.