annoyed

The pretty British town is the ‘gateway to the Cotswolds’ and packed with independent shops, but there’s one drawback

Nestled amongst stunning countryside and brimming with wonderful independent retailers, I had the pleasure of exploring the picturesque UK town dubbed the ‘gateway to the Cotswolds ‘. The delightful high street feels like stepping back in time with its historic watering holes and structures spanning several centuries, yet one irritating issue mars the experience.

Burford is located in the Cotswold hills in West Oxfordshire, approximately two miles from the Gloucestershire border and 18 miles from Oxford city.

The location is rich in heritage and charm, with Burford’s beloved high street sloping downhill towards the River Windrush, where visitors traverse the water using a charming three-arched medieval bridge.

However, the Express reports that one factor that slightly dampens a trip to this town (even attempting to cross the historic bridge on foot is quite nerve-wracking!) is the constant stream of vehicles travelling along the high street.

Each side of the thoroughfare is “flanked by an unbroken line of ancient houses and shops” according to Discover Burford on the Cotswolds website — which rings true, yet navigating across the road proves challenging.

Burford High Street remains timeless and attractive, yet heavy goods vehicles, motorcars and large SUVs hurtle along the road — and the section where it becomes tighter, approaching the medieval bridge, proves especially hazardous for those on foot.

However, visitors will find numerous remarkable shops, tea rooms, pubs and eateries housed within stunning historic buildings, and the La Bulle handbag shop particularly stands out, offering Italian leather goods alongside fabulous clothing.

Crossing from one side of the high street to the other proves challenging due to the constant traffic flow. Fortunately, pedestrian crossings are available and represent the safest and only sensible method of navigating across the high street.

My visit took place in August, and Burford proved truly unforgettable. It allows visitors to transport themselves back in time, as, aside from present-day traffic jams, little else has altered.

The Cotswolds Discover Burford page states: “Little has changed over the centuries, Burford is popular with visitors, both for its beauty and history but also for its shopping, especially antiques, and for the wide variety of places to eat, with restaurants, pubs and teashops.

“Here you can stay in a hotel frequented by King Charles and Nell Gwynn, dine where Nelson dined — or visit England’s oldest pharmacy, a chemist since 1734.

“There are wonderful alleyways and side streets just waiting to be explored and next to a set of medieval almshouses stands St John’s church, a permanent memorial to Burford’s medieval wealth.”

For those seeking a respite from the hustle and bustle of Burford’s shopping streets, nearby walking trails lead into the serene Windrush Valley. Here, you can amble through verdant fields, charming villages, and even stumble upon a 13th-century church nestled in a field.

The quaint St Olwald’s church, located in Widford, offers a tranquil retreat for a few hours. Encircled by rural landscapes and nature, this 13th-century sanctuary was erected on the site of a former Roman villa — and is only accessible on foot.

Destination X was back on screens during its usual slot of 9pm on Wednesday night but several viewers all issued the same complaint as the BBC travel competition continued

Destination X was back on screens during its usual slot of 9pm on Wednesday night. The BBC One series follows a group of strangers hoping to to win £100,000 by correctly guessing where in the world they have been taken to, but viewers began to get ‘very frustrated’ as things unfolded.

The series, which is hosted by Rob Brydon, sees the hopefuls dealt with various clues as to where they might be, ranging from languages written down and other key hints. But as the competition heated up, viewers found themselves ‘getting annoyed’ by the sheer lack of knowledge that the contestants seemed to possess. One viewer took to X to say: “Getting annoyed with #DestinationX – the lack of knowledge is appalling!”

Another said: “I assume it’s deliberate in this show that they picked contestants who know absolutely nothing about European languages or Geography, but it’s still very frustrating to watch.” And a third joked: “We have some exceptionally clever people in this country. We win bucketloads of Nobel prizes, we invented nearly everything worthwhile, we have an elite of world class minds but most of our citizens are thick as pig s***.” It comes after Gary Lineker ‘signs a huge deal with ITV to host new show’ after BBC exit.

READ MORE: Destination X fans spot huge hint that axed players will return in twistREAD MORE: Destination X – How to play along at home with BBC One show

As part of the mission that was played out in episode three, contestants had to sort items often associated with various countries into the correct box. Host Rob Brydon looked on in a tense race to the finish but in the end, Ashvin was saved and e-commerce manager James had to go.

Upon Ashvin’s victory, he said: “My goal was to get on that bus, and it’s gone. The goal was the Destination X bus,” as James became candid about the challenge that saw him ousted from the programme. He said: “I’m quite said to be going really, I feel a bit blindsided by Josh, Josh chose Daren because he viewed the rest of us as a threat , then I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same.”

Marketing executive Saskia was incredibly moved by James’ sudden departure. Through tears, she said in a confessional: “This game is really hard. I know this is a game because it’s really hard when you’ve made emotional connections with people here, it’s really difficult. “I’m a little bit angry at Daren, I love having Daren here but I feel like it kind of could have been James.” As the journey drew to a close, the remaining contestants had just minutes to figure out where in the world they were.

They all gathered in the map room, and the one who placed their X on the map furthest away from their actual location was warned they would be immediately out of the competition. There was mass confusion, to begin with, although most of them seemed to assume they were in Munich.

It was Ben who faced elimination after guessing that they were in Dortmund, and spoke of how he had taken the advice of Saskia, who in turn, voted for Munich after spotting a football ground. Prior to that, he had spotted a football team playing in black and yellow, which he believed could be Borussia Dortmund.

Saskia said: “That was bad. But I need to start playing this game properly if I want to make it to the final.” She added: “I don’t even know what to say about it,” as she hugged her former co-star and began to cry.

After stepping off the bus for the final time, indeed in Munich, Ben laughed and said: “Well, I’m not where I am that’s for sure! Wow! I’m in Munich. My gut was Munich. I saw Oktoberfest, but the clues got me. I got played a little bit. I put my trust in people.”

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