Description

Long ago – so long that memory has given way to myth – it is thought that Burford’s dragon first roamed the streets. It is believed that the origins of Burford’s tradition of “walking the dragon” echoes the Battle of Burford and the early midsummer celebrations that later evolved into the town’s patronal festival – celebrating St John, the parish church’s patron saint. The custom is widely held to have been suppressed after the English Civil War by Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan‑led Parliament in the mid‑1600s. The dragon then slept for centuries until Burford School awakened it in 1971 for their quatercentenary – and it has since become an integral part of the town’s life.

This book offers a brisk history of the tradition alongside modern memories and photographs from the past fifty years. It aims both to introduce this unique aspect of Burford’s heritage to a wider audience and to serve as a keepsake for the thousands of Burfordians who have enthusiastically helped bring the dragon to life.