Marlow Bottom is 25 to 30 minutes walk from the centre of Marlow town, and the river Thames. It has shops, including a newsagent, vet, butcher, chemist, off-licence, dog grooming parlour and a fish & chip shop, a large primary school, (Burford School), a public house, a private members club (The Barn Club, for valley residents), a village hall and two small churches (Anglican and Methodist) which form a Local Ecumenical Partnership "The Valley Church", where the local Boy Scout and Girl Guide groups and similar voluntary groups meet. Marlow Bottom is also home to the Rebellion Beer Company, an award winning local brewery producing regular and seasonal beers.
The vast majority of students who attend Burford School live in the village although the school does accept students from outside.
At present the school accommodates more than 420 pupils. The main school building comprises classrooms, work areas, a main hall, an information and communication technology (ICT) room and administrative offices. During 2001/02 two new classrooms were built. A new building that houses the library and music rooms was completed during the summer holidays. In September a new computer network was installed in the refurbished ICT room.
The school is one of the most successful orienteering centres for children aged between 9 and 11 in the UK. The School's team, headed by Year 6 teacher Mr. Vyner has won many British Schools Orienteering Championships in the past 10 years, with children of both genders frequently winning whole events.