Bourton On The Water, Gloucestershire

Bourton-on-the-Water markets itself as the “Venice of the Cotswolds,” which is accurate in the sense that there is water and stone and some bridges. What it actually is: the most visited village in the Cotswolds, a genuinely beautiful Cotswolds village that has been comprehensively discovered, with tour coaches, gift shops, and summer weekend crowds that make experiencing the thing it is selling quite difficult. Go on a weekday morning in April or late September and you will find what the marketing pictures show. Go on a Saturday in August and you will find a car park queue.

The Village

The River Windrush flows through the village centre under low stone bridges, shallow enough for paddling on warm days and flanked by honey-coloured limestone cottages. St Lawrence’s Church dates from the medieval period. The Model Village in the garden of the Old New Inn is an entirely different thing: a 1:9 scale model of the village as it appeared in 1937, built in Cotswold stone and continuously maintained. It is charming in a very English eccentric way.

The Cotswold Motoring Museum has over 150 vehicles including some rare examples and the original Brum car from the children’s television series. Birdland Park has flamingos and penguins in a garden setting. Both are decent rainy-day options and considerably less popular than the riverside itself.

Nearby

Bourton is well-placed for the broader Cotswolds. Bourton-on-the-Hill, Bourton-on-the-Water’s less-visited near neighbour, is worth the drive for the village church and the quieter character. Stow-on-the-Wold (5 miles north) has better antique shops and fewer coaches. The Slaughters (Upper and Lower, 3 miles west) are two smaller villages with less infrastructure and more character; go on foot if you can.

Eating

Lucy’s Tearooms serves the reliable cream tea format. For something less specifically touristy, the surrounding villages have pubs doing good Cotswolds food; the Horse and Groom at Bourton-on-the-Hill is the specific recommendation.

Getting There

Approximately 2 hours from London on the A40 and A429. No direct rail; the nearest stations are Moreton-in-Marsh (8 miles) and Cheltenham Spa. A car makes the surrounding Cotswolds villages accessible; parking is at pay-and-display car parks at the village outskirts.