BAY TREE HOTEL
Classic Cotswold charm in olde-worlde Burford
SET IN THE HEART OF BURFORD, The Bay Tree
positively heaves with history and a sense of occasion. Behind its pretty wisteria-clad walls and centuries-old Cotswold stone, rich drapes, heavy oak doors and a well trodden wooden staircase lead to opulently furnished bedrooms.
Covered with rich quilted spreads,
The Bay Tree's big oak beds are occasions in their own right, in rooms where bedtime is to be savoured. Classic ground-floor rooms look out onto a
walled rose and herb garden, with the heady scent wafting in through open windows in summer.
Antiques and grand tapestries are deftly mixed, ensuring that
the feel is country house that glows with Cotswolds chic. In winter, relax by a lazy log fire after exploring the pretty market town of Burford. In summer,
sit on the terrace sipping a Pimms as you count the butterflies and plan a drive out to Blenheim Palace.
Hit the Spot
In Burford, centre stage in the Cotswolds.
Bedtime
Lap up the four-poster, lavish lounge and jacuzzi bath of the Oak master suite.
Be Savvy
Guests include names like Ruby Wax and David Furnish.
Be Smitten
Cotswold charm from the rafters down.
Cutting-edge cuisine
Cosy up by the ingleook fireplace in The Bay Tree's oak-panelled Woolsack bar, then step into the award-winning restaurant whose candles are reflected in polished window panes overlooking the rose garden. Old flagstone floors and antique dressers contrast with cutting-edge British cuisine celebrating the best of local produce. Don’t miss the
lavish Cotswold teas either.
Polished bedrooms glow with good country taste and florals. Antiques, oak staircases and exposed beams are reminders that guests have been cosying up here for a couple of hundred years. The Oak master suite is a leap through centuries of luxury – a weekend in its own right.
Oxford’s dreaming spires and the million photo opportunities of the Cotswolds are not far away, not to mention the antique and art shops of Burford itself.
The Bay Tree was reviewed for Room for Romance by
Sian Davies
Click on any picture to enlarge it and move through the gallery.
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Dining in
With its tapestries, polished flagstone floors and old leaded windows overlooking the patio and garden, this place exudes Cotswold charm. Start with smoked haddock and salmon fishcakes with a sweet chilli sauce and balsamic vinegar, then bite into grilled breast of duck with confit potato and a pine nut and sun blushed tomato jus, and finish off with a sinful dark chocolate torte served with mascarpone chantilly.
Dining out
Try the slightly more pubby fare of The Lamb Inn just down the street.
Where?
The Bay Tree Restaurant
What’s cooking?
Try sirloin of beef and fillet of sea bass.
Dress the part
Jackets and ties won’t go amiss.
Top table?
Book a rear table by the window.
See & Do
Tramp around the cloisters and colleges of Oxford, marvel at Blenheim Palace or coo at the penguins and animal life at the Cotswold Wildlife Park.
Spa
Witney Lakes Resort (seven miles away) has a fully-fledged spa and golf course.
Shop
Burford jostles with antique shops and Bicester Village Outlet Shopping is great for nabbing bargain designer wear.
After dark
Sink a pint of local ale or sip an elderflower wine in one of the local Cotswold pubs.
Dates
June
Join in a barn dance, meet some novelists or listen to a children’s choir at the eclectic Burford Festival.
July
See some of the top names in rock at Charlbury’s Cornbury Music Festival.
GETTING THERE
Location
Sheep Street, Burford, Oxfordshire OX18 4LW
Parking
There is free guest parking.
Trains
Charlbury station – nine miles
Taxis
Around GBP 17 from Charlbury station.
Airport
Birmingham Airport – 55 miles
Rooms and suites
21 rooms and suites
Special features
Some rooms have four-posters, some have fireplaces, one has a jacuzzi and all are stocked with luxury toiletries. Some also have safes and radios.
Also…
The hotel has its own croquet lawn, so grab a mallet.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
GBP 165 - 250
Open/closed
Open all year
Check-in
2pm
Check-out
11am
Minimum night stay?
Two nights at weekend.
Breakfast
Full breakfast is served until 9.30am.
Room service
Available morning and evening.
Children
No under-14s are allowed at Christmas.
Pets
Dogs are welcome in certain rooms.
Air conditioning
The conservatory is air conditioned.
Languages
English
Wedding license?
Yes – for up to 80 guests. The Bay Tree was voted Oxfordshire’s most popular independent wedding venue in 2006.
Your contact
Simon Foster – general manager