Bourton on the Water is an enthralling village within the Cotswolds, situated within the coronary heart of England. With conventional stone buildings, quaint cottages and picturesque countryside, it’s not laborious to see why Bourton on the Water is among the hottest and delightful locations to go to within the Cotswolds.
The River Windrush flows gently by way of the centre of Bourton on the Water, offering a reasonably point of interest for the village, alongside the inexperienced. Though the village is small, there are an abundance of retailers, cafes and sights to maintain all ages entertained, making Bourton on the Water an excellent day trip for the entire household.
Let’s see a few of 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 numerous completely 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 below are a few of the greatest sights 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 automotive park. The park is dwelling to over 500 species of hen 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 numerous sights 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 an excellent possibility for households visiting Bourton on the Water.
Tickets are £11.95 for adults and £8.95 for kids between 3-15 years outdated. It’s advisable to guide on-line to avoid wasting queuing on the day.
Tackle the Dragonfly Maze! – an excellent exercise for pals and households
Situated subsequent to Birdland Park, the Dragonfly Maze is a good exercise if you’re brief on time. The hedge maze will solely take about 20-Half-hour however it’s nice enjoyable for the entire household!
The maze is open 10am – 3pm each day and tickets are £4.50 for adults and £3.50 for kids between 4-14 years outdated.
Really feel like a large on the Bourton on the Water Mannequin Village – enjoyable for the entire household
Tucked away behind The Previous New Inn, subsequent to Rissington Street automotive 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 outdated.
Go to the Cotswolds Motoring Museum – nice for large youngsters
The Cotswolds Motoring Museum and Toy assortment is certainly one of Bourton on the Water’s most well-known, and well-loved sights. The museum homes varied collections of classic vehicles, autos and memorabilia, good for large youngsters and classic automotive fans! The museum’s Toy Assortment can even ship you on a visit down reminiscence lane with toys and video games out of your childhood.
The museum is open day-after-day and tickets may be purchased on the door. The associated fee is £7 for adults and £5 for kids between 5-16 years outdated.
The place to have lunch in Bourton on the Water?
After a morning stuffed with actions, it’s time for lunch and you’ve got plenty of choices to select from! Bourton on the Water has an excellent vary of locations to eat, to suit all budgets.
- The Rose Tree restaurant is a well-liked selection in order for you one thing extra upscale. It’s barely dearer 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 in order for you a pub lunch, or for one thing lighter, the Bourton Riverside cafe does nice moderately priced sandwiches.
- One other common 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 Avenue which are typically rather less busy.
Visiting Bourton on the Water on a funds? Don’t fear, you possibly can decide 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, probably the greatest issues to do for lunch is to convey a picnic and decide a spot on the village inexperienced, alongside the River Windrush.
It’s price noting that lots 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 have a selected place you need to dine for lunch, try to reserve a desk beforehand.
Get pleasure from 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 encircling 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 numerous 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 direction of the Conflict Memorial and Cotswold Motor Museum within the centre of the village and comply with the River Windrush alongside the Windrush Manner. You’ll be able to stroll a brief distance alongside the riverside path till you’ve had sufficient, after which flip round and are available again the identical method.
Should you’re feeling energetic, you possibly can 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 info 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 individual, or on-line.
Get pleasure from a paddle within the River Windrush
If all that strolling sounds a bit an excessive amount of like laborious 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 way of Bourton on the Water, so it’s an excellent place to paddle your toes, or for kids to play, particularly on a sizzling summer season’s day.
Buy groceries
There are many nice little boutiques and unbiased outlets within the village, making Bourton on the Water an excellent place to buy one thing distinctive. You’ll be able to 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 reward outlets, promoting handmade crafts, candles, homeware and jewelry. Additionally on the excessive avenue is the Victorian Christmas store, the place you should buy lovely hand painted Christmas decorations and baubles all 12 months spherical.
In case you have a candy tooth, ensure you 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 outdoors, swap the ice cream for a cream tea or espresso and cake in one of many cosy tea rooms as a substitute.
Find out how to get to Bourton on the Water
One of the simplest ways to journey to Bourton on the Water within the Cotswolds is by automotive.
- Parking: There are two massive pay and show automotive parks situated within the village at Station Street (GL54 2EN) and Rissington Street (GL54 2BN). The machines at each of those automotive parks solely settle for playing cards, nevertheless you need to use the PayByPhone app at Rissington Street. Each of those automotive 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 experience a bike, you possibly can park freed from cost at Rissington Street automotive park. Notice that motorhomes and caravans can solely park on the Station Street automotive park and you may solely enter and exit the village from Station Street.
- Public transport: One of the simplest ways to succeed in Bourton on the Water utilizing public transport is to journey by bus or practice to Cheltenham Spa, then from Cheltenham, you possibly can catch the 801 bus to Bourton on the Water. The bus journey takes roughly 20 minutes. (Notice that the practice station and bus station in Cheltenham are a 20 minute stroll away from one another)
Native facilities
Except for the quite a few outlets, tea rooms and cafes in Bourton on the Water, you will want to know some sensible info concerning key facilities within the village. So, what amenities 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 info on native sights. The customer centre is located on Victoria Avenue, behind Victoria Village Corridor. It’s only open at chosen instances and days, relying on the time of 12 months:
- Between April – October, the customer centre is open 10:00 – 17:00, Monday to Saturday. (Within the peak season of Could – September, additionally it is 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 to your day trip. Should you want a bigger retailer for picnic provides, there’s a Coop grocery store on Station Street, which is subsequent to the Station Street automotive park and only a 6 minute stroll from the excessive avenue within the centre of the village.
Public bathrooms
There are bathrooms situated in Rissington automotive park, and likewise by the church, on the different finish of the excessive avenue. The bathrooms are 30p per entry and you may pay with money or by contactless card.
When is the most effective time to go to Bourton on the Water?
Bourton on the Water is among the greatest locations to go to within the Cotswolds and subsequently it’s common year-round. Nonetheless, it’s significantly busy on the weekends in the course of the summer season months and in the summertime holidays. Parking may be difficult throughout this time and lots of cafes and eating places have lengthy ready instances at lunch.
The perfect time to go to Bourton on the Water is outdoors of the summer season holidays and through mid-week. While the hotter summer season months attract many of the guests, additionally it is an excellent place to go to within the autumn and winter, because the village tends to be much less crowded in the course of the cooler months. It is usually an excellent place to buy Christmas presents! In case you are eager to go for Sunday lunch in Bourton on the Water, nevertheless, ensure you guide forward. Sunday lunch within the Cotswolds is extremely common anytime time of the 12 months!
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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 cherished travelling and on the age of 20 I moved to the USA for a 12 months’s work placement, which ignited my ardour much more. Since then, my need to journey to new locations has grown.
