Inn · Burford
The Swan Inn, Swinbrook
An inn on the River Windrush at Swinbrook, near Burford, with bedrooms in its stables and a riverside cottage.
A riverside inn in the Mitfords' village, a short drive from Burford, with rooms in its stables and a cottage. Book a table ahead, and leave the dog at home if you are staying.
- Good: On the bank of the River Windrush
- Good: Food every day, lunch and dinner
- Worth knowing: No pets in the rooms
- Worth knowing: Times change with the season; book ahead
About
The Swan Inn is on the bank of the River Windrush at Swinbrook, a village about three miles by road east of Burford. The Mitford family grew up here; the inn calls Deborah Mitford, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, its inspirational landlady, and Nancy, Unity and Diana Mitford are buried in the churchyard of St Mary's.
The kitchen cooks seasonal food from local produce, including Swinbrook beef and Cotswold cheese, with lunch and dinner every day and a Sunday lunch. It is open from noon, until 11pm Monday to Saturday and 10pm on Sundays. The King's Head at Bledington is its sister inn.
Rooms are in the converted stable block, named The Forge, Piggery End, Debo's Room, Orchard Store and Stables 1 and 2, and in Riverside Cottage, whose rooms are named Widford, Windrush, Riverside, Riverview and Asthall. There are 11 rooms in all, pet free, and they book through the inn's own booking page. Booking.com lists check-in from 4pm, check-out by 10am, free parking and free wifi; Sawday's advises arriving early for a space in the car park. The inn suits walkers and anyone exploring the Windrush valley: the walk from Swinbrook to Fulbrook and Widford starts at the door.
Opening hours and season
Closed, opens Mon 9, 12:00
| Mon | Opening | Food served |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12:00 to 23:00 | 12:00 to 14:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Tuesday | 12:00 to 23:00 | 12:00 to 14:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Wednesday | 12:00 to 23:00 | 12:00 to 14:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Thursday | 12:00 to 23:00 | 12:00 to 14:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Friday | 12:00 to 23:00 | 12:00 to 14:30, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00 to 23:00 | 12:00 to 14:30, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00 to 22:00 | 12:00 to 15:00, 18:00 to 20:30 |
Opening and kitchen times may change with the season; the inn advises booking ahead.
The details
- Serving
- Lunch · Dinner · Sunday lunch
- Booking a table
- Booking recommended
- Rooms
- 11
- Check-in
- From 4pm, as listed on Booking.com
- Check-out
- By 10am, as listed on Booking.com
- Features
- By the water · Restaurant · Bar · Parking · Wi-Fi
- Parking
- Free parking for guests, as listed on Booking.com. Sawday's advises arriving early for a space in the car park.
- Without a car
- The nearest stations are Shipton, about 6 miles by road, and Charlbury, about 9 miles; take a taxi from either.
Photos
The wisteria front 
The dining room 
The Stables rooms 
A bedroom
Location
Nearby walks, places and things to do
- Asthall Manor 1.1 km away
- The Three Horseshoes, Asthall 1.1 km away
- The Farmer's Dog 2.1 km away
- Burford Garden Co. Café 2.6 km away
Sights nearby
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River Windrush
Sight · River · The Oxfordshire Cotswolds
The River Windrush rises on the high wolds of Gloucestershire and runs south-east through Naunton, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Minster Lovell and Witney to join the Thames at Newbridge. Public footpaths follow much of it, and eight of our walks meet it.
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St Mary's Church, Swinbrook
Sight · Church · Burford
St Mary's in Swinbrook, near Burford, is a medieval church by the Windrush with the stacked Fettiplace effigies in its chancel and, in the churchyard, the graves of four Mitford sisters, Nancy, Pamela, Diana and Unity; their parents lie there too. Open daily. Grade II*.
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St Oswald's Church, Widford
Sight · Church · Burford
St Oswald's is a small thirteenth-century church alone in a field above the Windrush at Widford, between Burford and Swinbrook: built on a Roman villa, the last trace of a lost village, with medieval wall paintings and box pews. Grade II*; reached on foot only.
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St John the Baptist, Burford
Sight · Church · Burford
St John the Baptist is Burford's great wool church by the Windrush: Norman at its core, with a fan-vaulted porch, the Tanfield and Harman monuments, and the font where a Leveller carved his name before three were shot in 1649. Grade I; open daily, free.