Bourton on the Water is a captivating village within the Cotswolds, situated within the coronary heart of England. With conventional stone buildings, quaint cottages and picturesque countryside, it’s not exhausting to see why Bourton on the Water is among the hottest and exquisite locations to go to within the Cotswolds.
The River Windrush flows gently by the centre of Bourton on the Water, offering a fairly point of interest for the village, alongside the inexperienced. Though the village is small, there are an abundance of retailers, cafes and points of interest to maintain all ages entertained, making Bourton on the Water a fantastic time out for the entire household.
Let’s see among the greatest issues to see and do in Bourton on the Water in at some point.
Associated learn: Locations to Go to in England Different Than London
A day in Bourton on the Water within the Cotswolds
Begin your day in Bourton on the Water with a morning of actions. There are a lot of totally different actions to select from to begin your day, whether or not you might be visiting with youngsters, as a pair or group of pals.
Listed here are among the greatest points of interest to go to in Bourton on the Water so that you can select from.
Go to Bourton on the Water’s well-known Birdland Park – good for teenagers and households
Begin your day in Bourton on the Water with a go to to Birdland Park & Gardens, situated subsequent to Rissington automobile park. The park is dwelling to over 500 species of chicken and is among the greatest locations to go to in Bourton on the Water. Amongst the five hundred species on the park are flamingos, pelicans and even King Penguins!
In addition to the acres of lovely parkland to stroll round, there are various points of interest and experiences at Birdland Park, together with the possibility to feed the penguins. For teenagers, there’s a ‘Jurassic encounters’ attraction, discovery zone, out of doors impediment course and play space, making it a fantastic possibility for households visiting Bourton on the Water.
Tickets are £11.95 for adults and £8.95 for kids between 3-15 years previous. It’s advisable to e book on-line to save lots of queuing on the day.
Tackle the Dragonfly Maze! – a fantastic exercise for pals and households
Situated subsequent to Birdland Park, the Dragonfly Maze is a good exercise in case you are brief on time. The hedge maze will solely take about 20-Half-hour but it surely’s nice enjoyable for the entire household!
The maze is open 10am – 3pm every day and tickets are £4.50 for adults and £3.50 for kids between 4-14 years previous.
Really feel like an enormous on the Bourton on the Water Mannequin Village – enjoyable for the entire household
Tucked away behind The Previous New Inn, subsequent to Rissington Highway automobile park is a tiny village. The Mannequin village is an correct illustration of Bourton on the Water because it stood when it was first constructed within the 1930’s, however at 1/ninth of the dimensions! The homes within the mannequin village have been skillfully constructed by native craftsmen utilizing native Cotswolds Stone, while the gardens and environment have been lovingly pruned and landscaped. The mannequin village is a good place to begin your go to to Bourton on the Water.
Entry is £4.50 for adults and £3.50 for kids between 3-13 years previous.
Go to the Cotswolds Motoring Museum – nice for giant youngsters
The Cotswolds Motoring Museum and Toy assortment is one in every of Bourton on the Water’s most well-known, and well-loved points of interest. The museum homes varied collections of classic vehicles, automobiles and memorabilia, good for giant youngsters and classic automobile lovers! The museum’s Toy Assortment may also ship you on a visit down reminiscence lane with toys and video games out of your childhood.
The museum is open every single day and tickets might be purchased on the door. The fee is £7 for adults and £5 for kids between 5-16 years previous.
The place to have lunch in Bourton on the Water?
After a morning filled with actions, it’s time for lunch and you’ve got a lot of choices to select from! Bourton on the Water has a fantastic vary of locations to eat, to suit all budgets.
- The Rose Tree restaurant is a well-liked alternative if you’d like one thing extra upscale. It’s barely costlier however has a beautiful environment and is ideal for a special day.
- The Croft and Kingsbridge pubs which face the river are each nice choices if you’d like a pub lunch, or for one thing lighter, the Bourton Riverside cafe does nice fairly priced sandwiches.
- One other well-liked tearoom is the Chestnut Tree on the excessive avenue. If the tea rooms alongside the inexperienced and excessive avenue are busy, there’s one other three nice choices on Moore Road which are typically rather less busy.
Visiting Bourton on the Water on a price range? Don’t fear, you’ll be able to choose up one thing to remove from The Cornish Bakery or the Chip Shed, situated subsequent to one another on the excessive avenue. Or, on a dry day, the most effective issues to do for lunch is to carry a picnic and choose a spot on the village inexperienced, alongside the River Windrush.
It’s price noting that most of the cafes, tea rooms and eating places do get very busy round lunchtime, particularly on weekends in the summertime months and within the holidays. Subsequently, when you’ve got a particular place you wish to dine for lunch, attempt to reserve a desk beforehand.
Take pleasure in a extra relaxed afternoon in Bourton on the Water
After a busy morning, spend the remainder of your day in Bourton on the Water at a extra relaxed tempo. Take a stroll alongside the River Windrush, or into the encompassing Cotswolds Countryside, or just get pleasure from a leisurely stroll across the village, visiting the outlets and boutiques.
Benefit from the strolling trails in Bourton on the Water
The Cotswolds is an space of excellent pure magnificence and there are various strolling trails in and round Bourton on the Water, with lovely countryside and village views.
For a nice brief stroll, which requires no map, stroll in the direction of the Conflict Memorial and Cotswold Motor Museum within the centre of the village and comply with the River Windrush alongside the Windrush Means. You possibly can stroll a brief distance alongside the riverside path till you’ve had sufficient, after which flip round and are available again the identical manner.
Should you’re feeling energetic, you’ll be able to comply with this 10 mile stroll from Bourton on the Water, strolling to the picturesque villages of Decrease Slaughter, Higher Slaughter and Naunton, stopping at The Slaughters Nation Inn in Decrease Slaughter on the way in which.
For extra data on the strolling trails from Bourton on the Water and within the wider Cotswolds area, and to buy a route map, go to the Bourton on the Water guests centre in particular person, or on-line.
Take pleasure in a paddle within the River Windrush
If all that strolling sounds a bit an excessive amount of like exhausting work, then merely get pleasure from slightly stroll alongside the river within the centre of the village. The River Windrush is barely 10 inches deep because it flows gently by Bourton on the Water, so it’s a fantastic place to paddle your toes, or for kids to play, particularly on a scorching summer season’s day.
Buy groceries
There are many nice little boutiques and unbiased outlets within the village, making Bourton on the Water a fantastic place to buy one thing distinctive. You possibly can stroll across the village in a loop, stopping at varied outlets alongside the way in which. Begin alongside the excessive avenue, then cross the river and proceed down Victoria avenue, earlier than crossing again over the river and again to the excessive avenue.
Lining the excessive avenue are a number of cute present outlets, promoting handmade crafts, candles, homeware and jewelry. Additionally on the excessive avenue is the Victorian Christmas store, the place you should purchase lovely hand painted Christmas decorations and baubles all yr spherical.
In case you have a candy tooth, be sure to cease at Candy Reminiscence sweet store, or Bourton’s Little Candy store, to replenish on quaint candies and sweets to take dwelling with you.
Deal with your self to an ice cream
The day is coming to an finish and also you’ve finished lots of strolling, so it’s time to deal with your self! There are two nice ice cream outlets within the village, each situated alongside the river: Bourtanicals Marsfield Farm Ice Cream and Cotswolds Ice Cream.
If it’s too chilly exterior, swap the ice cream for a cream tea or espresso and cake in one of many cosy tea rooms as a substitute.
Easy methods to get to Bourton on the Water
The easiest way to journey to Bourton on the Water within the Cotswolds is by automobile.
- Parking: There are two giant pay and show automobile parks situated within the village at Station Highway (GL54 2EN) and Rissington Highway (GL54 2BN). The machines at each of those automobile parks solely settle for playing cards, nevertheless you should utilize the PayByPhone app at Rissington Highway. Each of those automobile parks are only a few minutes stroll away from the primary centre of the village, nevertheless they do get extraordinarily busy, particularly on financial institution holidays and on weekends in the summertime months. Should you trip a motorcycle, you’ll be able to park freed from cost at Rissington Highway automobile park. Word that motorhomes and caravans can solely park on the Station Highway automobile park and you’ll solely enter and exit the village from Station Highway.
- Public transport: The easiest way to achieve Bourton on the Water utilizing public transport is to journey by bus or practice to Cheltenham Spa, then from Cheltenham, you’ll be able to catch the 801 bus to Bourton on the Water. The bus journey takes roughly 20 minutes. (Word that the practice station and bus station in Cheltenham are a 20 minute stroll away from one another)
Native facilities
Apart from the quite a few outlets, tea rooms and cafes in Bourton on the Water, you’ll need to know some sensible data concerning key facilities within the village. So, what services can you discover in Bourton on the Water?
The Bourton on the Water customer centre
The Bourton on the Water customer centre is the place to go to to choose up maps of the native space and strolling trails in addition to data on native points of interest. The customer centre is located on Victoria Road, behind Victoria Village Corridor. It’s only open at chosen occasions and days, relying on the time of yr:
- Between April – October, the customer centre is open 10:00 – 17:00, Monday to Saturday. (Within the peak season of Could – September, it’s also open on Sundays 10:00 – 14:00).
- Between November – March the customer centre is barely open Monday to Saturday 10:00 – 16:0
Comfort Store
There’s a small Londis comfort store on the excessive avenue within the centre of the village, which is ideal for choosing up some snacks or a bottle of water on your time out. Should you want a bigger retailer for picnic provides, there’s a Coop grocery store on Station Highway, which is subsequent to the Station Highway automobile park and only a 6 minute stroll from the excessive avenue within the centre of the village.
Public bogs
There are bogs situated in Rissington automobile park, and likewise by the church, on the different finish of the excessive avenue. The bogs are 30p per entry and you’ll pay with money or by contactless card.
When is the perfect time to go to Bourton on the Water?
Bourton on the Water is among the greatest locations to go to within the Cotswolds and due to this fact it’s well-liked year-round. Nonetheless, it’s significantly busy on the weekends throughout the summer season months and in the summertime holidays. Parking might be difficult throughout this time and plenty of cafes and eating places have lengthy ready occasions at lunch.
The very best time to go to Bourton on the Water is exterior of the summer season holidays and through mid-week. While the hotter summer season months attract a lot of the guests, it’s also a fantastic place to go to within the autumn and winter, because the village tends to be much less crowded throughout the cooler months. Additionally it is a fantastic place to buy Christmas presents! If you’re eager to go for Sunday lunch in Bourton on the Water, nevertheless, be sure to e book forward. Sunday lunch within the Cotswolds is extremely well-liked anytime time of the yr!
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Curious Goose
I am Helen, a British travel-addict with a curious streak, who likes to discover, hike and go to new locations.
I’ve at all times beloved travelling and on the age of 20 I moved to the USA for a yr’s work placement, which ignited my ardour much more. Since then, my want to journey to new locations has grown.
