600 years of legacy

Tucked away on Witney Street in the heart of Burford, this historical gem is one of the town’s most intriguing and best-preserved medieval buildings. Dating from the early 14th century, it emerged at a time when Burford was a thriving wool town. Its name reflects its later connection to the adjacent Bull Hotel, but the house itself long predates the coaching age, offering a tangible link to Burford’s medieval past.

Architecturally, the cottage is remarkable. Built of coursed Cotswold rubble stone under a traditional stone-tiled roof, it retains a raised cruck frame—a rare medieval timbering technique. Inside, a wealth of original features reveal both its age and the lives of those who once inhabited it. The ground floor contains an arcade of shelves and cupboards, suggesting that the building may have been used not only as a dwelling but also for commercial or semi-public purposes. A buttery hatch connects the main rooms, hinting at the serving of food or drink, while the survival of a medieval chimney suggests an early concern for comfort unusual in smaller domestic buildings of the time.

The 17th century saw the façade remodelled, while further alterations in the 19th century gave the house its present appearance. During Burford’s heyday as a busy coaching stop on the London-to-Wales route, the cottage was absorbed into the Bull Hotel complex, serving as stabling and service accommodation for travellers and their horses.

When the coaching trade declined in the 19th century, Bull Cottage passed into quieter domestic use, eventually being converted into a private residence in the 20th century. Today, restored with sensitivity to its long history, it functions as a self- catering holiday home, allowing visitors to step inside a house that has stood for more than six centuries.