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BARGAIN
LUXURY TRAVEL - ENGLAND
BAY
TREE INN - BURFORD
Country Luxury and Teddy Bears in the Cotswold
Burford
is a quiet picturesque little medieval town in West Oxfordshire at
the frontier
of the Cotswold
Hills about 2 hours from London. A principal
feature of the town and the basis of its existance and prosperity is
the narrow stone bridge across the Windrush River. The name Burford comes
from the old Saxon roots meaning a fortified town at a river crossing
(burgh – ford). The village has not always been so quiet. It was
the site of a battle in the days of the Saxons and the Britons with a
connection
to King Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon, still commemorated with
a dragon emblem, while a dispute over the correct day of Easter was settled
in Burford at a synod
attended
by King
Ethelred. Oh, for the excitement of olden days…
Burford
prospered in Elizabethan times due to a thriving wool trade with the
plentiful sheep grazing lands still abounding in the Cotswold hills.
The town kept its country village nature when it was bypassed by the
railroad in the Victorian era, but its road bridge across the river made
it a prime location for coaches traversing between London and Gloucester,
with accommodations for coaching passengers. And those same inns which
have welcomed visitors seeking the quiet beauty and romantic atmosphere
of the Cotswolds can still find welcome in local inns that go back to
the time of the first Queen Elizabeth. One of them is the Bay Tree Hotel,
awarded the Gold Enjoy England Small Hotel of the Year in 2011. Located
on a narrow side street off the main thoroughfare, the charming and historic
Bay Tree Hotel, with its walls of Cotswold limestone cloaked
in a colorful thicket of purple wisteria blooms has been taking in wayfaring
travelers since it was first built in 1565 as the country house of the
Chief Baron of the Exchequer to Queen Liz, Sir Lawrence Tanfield. With
its wood beam rafters over bare limestone walls and wood paneled common
rooms in cozy nooks, with original stone fireplaces are complimented
by woven tapestries and antiques. Stepping through the ancient oak doorway
is like
a step
into another time.
The
cozy individually styled rooms, each with its own décor and
character, feature antique furnishings and rich colorful fabrics, while
visitors are greeted by the mascot Teddy Bear of the hotel on the amply
pillowed bed of crisp linens. All the rooms have private en-suite bathrooms
supplied with Molton Brown Toiletries and flat screen television. The
Bay Tree Restaurant of gourmet quality and the bar, perfect for an
after-hours gathering are in the
original house building along with the reception, while the hotel rooms
are across the gravel drive, requiring a brief step through the weather.
The bedrooms, reached by way of an oak staircase and down a multi-leveled
hallway are behind classic wooden doors opened by old fashioned keys.
Parking
is in a private lot behind the hotel.
The
Bay Tree Restaurant offers candlelit dining or the alternative of
outdoor seating in the patio, or an evening drink from the
Woolsack Bar,
which gets its name from the trade which kept the town of Burford
in the chips. A full breakfast buffet in the morning offers a view
of
the aromatic roses and lavender beneath the Bay Trees from
which the hotel’s
identity and name derives. The secluded walled
herb garden is perfect for a summer evening stroll, while the library
offers a comfortable spot
to relax for an afternoon tea in front of a roaring fire when the
weather outdoors is a passing hail storm. In the warmer season, the
Summer
House with private terrace overlooking the garden offers a venue
for a reception
for drinks or Barbeque, or even a lawn croquet party. The Bay Tree
Hotel offers romantic two-for-one and holiday break packages with
special care
for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.
The
Bay Tree Hotel can make an excellent base for exploring the southern
Cotswolds, the towns of Bourton on the Water, Chipping Campden, Cirencester,
and historic sights and gardens of Blenheim Palace, Sudeley Castle,
Painswick Rococo Gardens and The National Arboretum at Westonbirt are
within easy reach. Gloucester and its historic Cathedral are 30 minutes.
Or just take a walking stroll through the shops of Burford to the old
stone bridge and the Norman church of St John The Baptist from 1175,
with its own cathedral-like proportions and described as one of England’s
Thousand Best Churches. © Bargain
Luxury Travel
The Cotswold Inns and Hotels group also manage The Lamb Inn a few doors down.
Book a bargain deal at The Bay Tree Hotel Burford
Find best hotel and vacation deals in Cotswolds on TripAdvisor
Web Info
Bay
Tree Hotel
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