Oxford News
Cosy Cotswolds pub has picturesque hidden beer garden
Nestled just off Burford’s sloping High Street, The Angel at Burford stands on Witney Street in a 17th-century stone building that has welcomed locals and travellers for generations.
Records and local guides trace the inn back to around 1652, and much of that period charm remains in place today, with low ceilings, original oak beams and thick stone walls creating an intimate atmosphere inside.
Open fireplaces, polished brass and traditional pub furnishings add to the sense of history, giving drinkers and diners an authentic coaching-inn feel in the heart of the market town.
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Over recent years, the pub has developed into an award-winning gastropub with rooms, picking up plaudits while still functioning as a relaxed local for residents.
With a proud Hook Norton Brewery sign outside, the bar within features a line-up of the Oxfordshire brewer’s cask ales.
Separate dining areas offer a mix of cosy corners and larger tables, allowing the kitchen to serve seasonal menus that focus on classic pub dishes, Cotswold produce and modern gastropub favourites.
Beyond the interior, one of the standout attractions is the outdoor space, which is easy to miss from the street.
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From the front bar, customers head along a corridor towards the rear of the building before emerging into a surprisingly spacious beer garden hidden behind the main frontage.
A high stone wall and surrounding buildings shelter this area, creating a secluded, almost secret walled garden that feels far removed from the bustle of Burford’s busy centre.
Landscaping has introduced planting, stone paving and plenty of wooden tables, so there is ample room for larger groups as well as quieter spots for couples and families.
Because the garden is fully enclosed and set back from the High Street, traffic noise quickly fades, so people can sit and chat in relative quiet while still being only a short walk from the centre of Burford.
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On a warm Cotswolds afternoon, the garden becomes a suntrap, with visitors able to sit among the greenery and enjoy a pint of Hooky or a meal in the open air.
Many first-time guests comment on the contrast between the modest street view and the generous outdoor space tucked away at the back, making the garden a particular draw in spring and summer.
Accommodation above the pub provides a small number of letting rooms, giving people the chance to stay overnight in Burford, often described as the “Gateway to the Cotswolds”.
Combining centuries of history, traditional interiors, brewery links and a picturesque hidden beer garden, The Angel continues to serve as a popular stop-off for both local drinkers and tourists exploring this part of Oxfordshire.
Shane Sterling, who studied at Oxford University, is currently a judo athlete, practising magician and is the owner of Oxford Magic Walking Tours.
He was hospitalised with heatstroke after conducting three back-to-back walking tours through Oxford on Monday (August 3).
Shane led tours at 11am, 1pm and 3pm, spending most of the day outdoors and walking between Oxford’s historic landmarks in hot weather.
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His tours are highly interactive and can occasionally run slightly beyond their scheduled finish time.
This can leave Shane with only around 20 minutes to return to the meeting point, check in the next group and begin the following tour.
Around an hour into his final tour at 3pm, he began to feel increasingly unwell, but determined not to disappoint his guests, he continued and completed the tour.
However, shortly after the tour ended, his condition quickly became worse.
“I suddenly felt extremely sick and dizzy,” Shane said.
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“I had a severe headache, I was incredibly thirsty, and I knew something was not right.
“Luckily, my wife was meeting me after the final tour. She immediately realised how unwell I was and made sure I received medical help.”
Shane was taken to hospital that evening, where he was treated for heatstroke.
Medical staff warned him that the situation could have become extremely serious if help had been delayed.
The tour guide is sharing his experience as a warning to others, particularly with further periods of hot weather expected.
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“I spend a great deal of time outdoors, and I consider myself to be extremely fit,” said Shane.
“I represent Team GB in judo and have trained at a high level for many years. I never expected something like this to happen to me, but it shows that heatstroke can affect anyone.”
He is now urging residents, visitors, tour guides and outdoor workers to take extra precautions during periods of extreme heat.
“Drinking water is essential, but it is not the only thing people need to think about,” Shane said.
“Try to spend time in the shade, take proper breaks and avoid pushing through if you begin to feel unwell.
READ MORE: ‘Devoted’ husband and father, 74, killed in Cotswolds fire
“Move to a cool or air-conditioned place as quickly as possible and seek urgent medical help if your symptoms are serious.”
Common warning signs of heat-related illness can include dizziness, nausea, severe headache, intense thirst, confusion, weakness and feeling unusually unwell.
Shane, who has now recovered, added: “I pushed through because I wanted to finish the tour for my guests, but looking back, I should have stopped as soon as I felt ill.
“No tour, job or appointment is worth putting your health at risk. The hospital staff told me that this could have ended very badly for me.”
According to The Sun, the hosts will join YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman as well as social media star Francis Bourgeois in series seven.
Having presented Top Gear together for over a decade, the famed trio departed the BBC show back in 2015, moving on to Prime Video’s The Grand Tour.
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The petrol enthusiasts are expected to help ensure the show’s reboot gets off to a smooth and welcoming start, according to co-creator and TV producer Andy Wilman.
Mr Wilman, who is also executive producer of Clarkson’s Farm, told The Sun that the guys will do cameos as they “pass that baton on” in the series which debuts on Friday, September 4.
The TV producer told 3Bs radio at the Buckingham Literary Festival: “We’ve got three guys coming soon with a new Grand Tour and we’ve got behind them.
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“We’re really supporting them. Our guys are in the shows doing cameos, so we’re wishing them well because we do want to pass that baton on.”
This will be the first time in almost two years the Top Gear originals, who went their own ways professionally, will be seen together since September 2024.
That was when The Grand Tour: One For The Road was released on Prime Video, marking an end to over two decades of Mr Clarkson, Mr May and Mr Hammond working together.
The 52-year-old said that neither she nor her boyfriend receives a free subscription from Amazon, even though they front one of the streamer’s biggest British shows.
Ms Hogan made the admission in an interview with content creator Lucas Stewart on his YouTube channel.
Asked directly whether she was given a complimentary Amazon Prime or Prime Video account, the Irish former model and actor replied: “I share my son’s.
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“We don’t get any goodies.”
She went on to explain that sharing subscriptions is simply how many younger viewers now choose to spend their money.
“Children nowadays are just like, ‘Yeah, I’ll just get this subscription,’ and that’s their way of spending money whereas we used to buy cigarettes and more alcohol,” she said.
“This is their spending money, so I share it with him.”
Clarkson’s Farm, which follows Mr Clarkson’s attempts to run his Diddly Squat farm in the Cotswolds, has been one of Prime Video’s breakout UK successes since it launched in 2021.
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Ms Hogan has become a key part of the series, often seen running the Diddly Squat Farm Shop and appearing alongside Mr Clarkson and farmer Kaleb Cooper.
In the interview, she also reflected on how the attention from the show has changed her life, but the Independent report focuses on the unusual fact that one of Prime Video’s best‑known on‑screen personalities still relies on a family login.
Amazon Prime currently costs £8.99 a month in the UK, with membership including access to Prime Video, music, deliveries and other services.
The company has tightened its rules on account sharing in recent years, but Ms Hogan’s comments suggest that, inside the Clarkson household at least, the stars are still paying customers.
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