A 'contemporary' Oxfordshire inn has been named one of the best in the UK that has been saved from closure.

British pubs are in a sad decline, with at least one closing every day.

Recent figures reveal a failure rate of 80 a month across England and Wales so far in 2024.

But, thankfully, pubs are sometimes saved, including one in Oxfordshire.

The Bull, Burford

The Telegraph said: "Cotswolds coaching inns may be two-a-penny, but there are none quite like Bull (bullburford.com; note the dropped definite article), recently reopened by local PR guru Matthew Freud.

"Bang in the middle of chi-chi Burford, its oak timbers and stone walls remain, but the walls are decorated with paintings and photos from Freud’s art collection – think Bacon, Dali and iconic images of Bob Dylan and the Stones – and there’s a poker table downstairs that was donated by Idris Elba.

(Image: The Bull at Burford/Facebook)

"There’s a contemporary feel to its rooms too, which are stripped down and elegant, yet cosy at the same time. And the food? Well, it’s not just steak and chips.

"Instead, you get a choice of two cool, communal places to eat – Hiro, a 10-seater Japanese omakase eatery, and Wild, where food is grilled in front of you on open flames – as well as the more traditional Horn restaurant.

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Their website states: "Nestled in the heart of The Cotswolds, Bull is an intimate 18-bedroom hotel, beautifully refurbished in a Grade II listed 15th-century inn.

"When the Bull opened in 1536, it was a coaching inn, a place for tired horses to recover and prepare themselves for the next long ride. The new Bull aspires to offer the same service to anyone on a journey who might need a moment to catch their breath.

"A ten-seat Omakase restaurant where our sushi masters, Nobuyo and Miya, serve an eclectic 14-course menu of the finest fish, meat and vegetables. The room features Roman and Byzantine mosaics and a 90 million-year-old fish fossil keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings."