Burford Parish Church
We started our trip by
orientating ourselves, as
many early modern people
would have, from the local
church.
After exploring the interior,
admiring the contributions
of various generations of
worshippers, we emerged
and were greeted by its
impressive tower, and the
wonderful clear blue sky.
The High Street
Burford’s High Street is
situated along the main
trading route between the
North and South of England
Most of the buildings along
this street had been public
houses at some point.
The concentration of these
establishments was
especially dense where the
high street intersected with
the East-West road.
The Bear
In the courtyard of the Bear we
discussed the spatial layout of
an early modern tavern, noting
the relative size of the
establishment, as well as its
particular structure.
It appears in this case that the
inn was assembled out of
existing residential buildings,
and at some point would also
have had wooden galleries
linking private rooms.
The Bull
The only brick-fronted
building on the high
street, the Bull is one of
the oldest public houses
in Burford.
It originally occupied the
building two units up, but
moved and was
renovated in order to
cater to the social elite,
who were its patrons
especially in the
eighteenth century.
The kitchen was closed
when we visited, a
testimony to the travails of
pub-keeping then as now.
This picture is of an
interesting tile under its
archway.
The Royal Oak
Apart from the interesting inn
sign, this pub was a haven
for Royalists during the Civil
War and Interregnum years.
We discussed how the
names of inns could carry
significant messages about
the inns and their patrons,
thus engineering for itself a
specific clientele.
The Bay Tree
The “American Tourist” pub, the
Bay Tree is fitted up with oldlooking fixtures and boasts of a
long operating history.
Actually set up in a later period, it
is a good example of “invented
traditions,” as it pretends to an
early modern ancestry (as can be
seen on its website)
Our Final stop, the Lamb Inn, where we discussed our observations and had a splendid meal.