Matthew Freud’s hotel with four restaurants turns the expected Cotswolds stay on its head

Hero hotel

Bull Burford

Although this Grade II*-listed building dates back to 1475 and has been an inn since the 16th century, this is a hotel that now dresses in a far more contemporary style.

You might notice it first with the name: no superfluous ‘the’ or ‘in’; this is the clean, concise Bull Burford, or perhaps the branding. If you opt to take the train (into nearby Charlbury or Kingham), you can arrange to be picked up in an all-black Defender with ‘BULL’ emblazoned on its side in a chunky sans serif typeface, which you’ll see again. You definitely notice it upon arrival, when your eyes dart between the curvaceous black check-in desk and the Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, Charles the First, that are juxtaposed with gnarled wooden beams and weathered chunks of original wall.

This old-meets-new Bull, which opened in 2023, is the brainchild of longtime Burford resident Matthew Freud, the famed PR executive well versed in putting a winning spin on things. It’s his personal art collection that enlivens the public spaces and 18 bedrooms — a collection he describes in the in-room guides as ‘eclectic and incoherent’, taking in everything from Alberto Korda’s iconic Che Guevara portrait (hung above the fire in the lounge bar) to Matisse’s Blue Nude (hung in Zen, the treatment room I can highly recommend). My room, the lofty wabi-sabi-chic Venetian, has its pastel-pink lime-plaster walls lined with an array of 15th-century portraits of Roman emperors who would have surely approved of the super king-size bed, feather-soft robes and all-natural Wildsmith bath products.

There’s little chance of you going hungry or thirsty. Graze is the street-side coffee, juice and infusions bar where breakfast is served. Horn is the inviting modern Mediterranean restaurant, Slice the outdoor pizza terrace and Vincent’s bar the building’s central hub. If you can find it, there’s also a wine-cellar snug that currently houses Idris Elba’s own personal poker table, but is soon to get a more speakeasy-style makeover.

One of Bull’s greatest lures, however, and what helped it land a Michelin Key in the autumn, is Wild. Not really a restaurant in its own right, but a 10-person, 11-course dine-by-fire experience with amiable chef Ben Chamberlain in its own seasonally adaptable tent. It’s communal, convivial and clever in its menu (charred beets, seared trout, scurvy grass, Turkish bazlama flatbreads and monkfish all feature alongside locally sourced meats) and stands as something of an analogue for the hotel itself: not necessarily reinventing the wheel, but adding a confident dash of personality for those who’ve had their fill of Cotswold classicism.

Rooms at Bull Burford start from £275 per night. Visit their website for more information and to book.

Need to know

Burford itself is undeniably pretty. A well-to-do honeyed-stone high street tapers down a steep hill to a narrow bridge over the River Windrush, crocuses peek out from grassy verges and quaint lanes spill off this way and that.

Bull sits almost perfectly in the middle of it all. There’s enough to this vibrant market town to easily while away a weekend, including great antiques and homewares stores, a string of small art galleries and plenty of pubs to provide refreshment.

The 15th-century church of St John the Baptist still stands impressively in the village’s north-east and is supposedly what prompted William Morris to found the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings after popping in after lunch in 1876 and taking umbrage with the tiled floor being added as part of its restoration.

The town’s picturesque old priory — home to Matthew and his partner, Sheherazade Goldsmith — sporadically opens up its sweeping grounds to show off its spring and summer blooms to raise money for local charities. The Freud fiefdom also extends to the nearby rectory, now a nine-bedroom, exclusive-use country crashpad available on Airbnb, ideal for group getaways.

Beyond the town borders, nearby Charlbury boasts its own bull, The Bull Charlbury, from London’s heralded Public House Group, which, confusingly, sits opposite Daylesford’s The Bell. All of the Cotswolds’ greatest hits — Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Norton etc—are within easy driving distance, with Cheltenham 40 minutes to the west and Oxford 40 minutes to the east.

Where to eat

• Only about 165 feet down the street, you’ll find Bull’s sister hotel, Highway, a similarly styled pared-back old inn with its own tapas restaurant, Toro, serving sunny Spanish small plates at lunch and dinner.
• The bijou Bakery on the Hill is great for a coffee, a pastry, or some classic farm-fresh breakfasts. For something with a little more ceremony, Hugo Lovage Patisserie offers a full afternoon tea, as well as plenty of sweet treats to take away
• Pub-wise, you’re well catered for. The locals are quick to recommend the ‘proper’ shortcrust pies served at the Royal Oak. Its neighbour the Angel offers elevated British fare in a cosy setting. If you fancy stretching your legs first, the Fox at Barrington is just over an hour’s scenic walk away

What to do while you’re there

• Walks The ‘Walkabull’ map left in every room charts some well-planned walking routes of varying length and difficulty, from a pub-lined tour to Taynton to a peaceful valley-view stroll via Westwell and Holwell
• Shop It’s not often the local garden centre gains must-visit status, but Burford’s 15-acre horticultural hub is one the UK’s best, stocking everything from rare trees to Sunspel tees. Its palm-lined café is a great lunch spot

This feature originally appeared in the April 22, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.