“SYMON WYSDOM ALDERMAN
     THE FYRST FOUNDER OR THE SCHOLE
     IN BURFORD GAVE THE TENEMENES
     IN A.D. 1577.”

The old almshouses on the green by the church have an inscription to the effect that they were founded by Richard Earl of Warwick (the kingmaker), in the year 1457.  They were practically rebuilt about seventy years ago; but remnants of beautiful Gothic architecture still remain in the old stone belfry, and here and there a piece of tracery has been preserved.  In all parts of the town one suddenly alights upon beautiful bits of carved stone—­an Early English gateway in one street, and lancet doorways to many a cottage in another.  Oriel windows are also plentiful.  Behind the almshouses is a cottage with massive buttresses, and everywhere broken pieces of quaint gargoyles, pinnacles, and other remnants of Gothic workmanship are to be seen lying about on the walls and in odd corners.  A careful search would doubtless reveal many a fine piece of tracery in the cottages and buildings.  At some period, however, vandalism has evidently been rampant.  Happening to find our way into the back premises of an ancient inn, we noticed that the coals were heaped up against a wall of old oak panelling.

And now we come to the most beautiful piece of architecture in the place—­the magnificent old church.  It is grandly situated close to the banks of the Windrush, and is more like a cathedral than a village church.  The front of the porch is worked with figures representing our Lord, St. Mary Magdalene, and St. John the Evangelist; but the heads were unfortunately destroyed in the Civil Wars.  Inside the porch the rich fan-tracery, which rises from the pilasters on each side, is carved with consummate skill.

Space does not allow us to dwell on the grandeur of the massive Norman tower, the great doorway at the western entrance with its splendid moulding, the quaint low arch leading from nave to chancel, and the other specimens of Norman work to be seen in all parts of this magnificent edifice.  Nor can we do justice to the glorious nave, with its roof of oak; nor the aisles and the chancel; nor the beautiful Leggare chapel, with its oak screen, carved in its upper part in fifteenth-century tracery, its faded frescoes and ancient altar tomb.  The glass of the upper portion of the great west window and the window of St Thomas’ chapel are indeed “labyrinths of twisted tracery and starry light” such as would delight the fastidious taste of Ruskin.  Several pages might easily be written in describing the wonderful and grotesque example of alabaster work known as the Tanfield tomb.  The only regret one feels on gazing at this grand old specimen of the toil of our simple ancestors is that it is seldom visited save by the natives of rural Burford, many of whom, alas! must realise but little the exceptional beauty and stateliness of the lovely old church with which they have been so familiar all their lives.