A Day in Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds

Bourton on the Water is a captivating village within the Cotswolds, positioned 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 the centre of Bourton on the Water, offering a fairly focus 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 an amazing day trip for the entire household. 

Let’s see a number of the finest issues to see and do in Bourton on the Water in someday.

Associated learn: Places to Visit in England Other 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 completely different actions to select from to begin your day, whether or not you’re visiting with youngsters, as a pair or group of buddies.

Listed here are a number of the finest 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 youths and households

Begin your day in Bourton on the Water with a go to to Birdland Park & Gardens, positioned subsequent to Rissington automobile park. The park is residence to over 500 species of hen and is among the finest 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 points of interest and experiences at Birdland Park, together with the prospect to feed the penguins. For youths, there’s a ‘Jurassic encounters’ attraction, discovery zone, outside impediment course and play space, making it an amazing 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 book online to save lots of queuing on the day.

Tackle the Dragonfly Maze! – an amazing exercise for buddies and households

Situated subsequent to Birdland Park, the Dragonfly Maze is a superb exercise if you’re quick 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 day by 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 Outdated New Inn, subsequent to Rissington Highway automobile park is a tiny village. The Model 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 superb 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 children

The Cotswolds Motoring Museum and Toy collection is certainly one of Bourton on the Water’s most well-known, and well-loved points of interest. The museum homes varied collections of classic automobiles, autos and memorabilia, good for giant children and classic automobile fans! The museum’s Toy Assortment may even ship you on a visit down reminiscence lane with toys and video games out of your childhood.

The museum is open each day and tickets could be purchased on the door. The price 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 numerous choices to select from! Bourton on the Water has an amazing vary of locations to eat, to suit all budgets.

• The Rose Tree restaurant is a well-liked selection if you need one thing extra upscale. It’s barely costlier however has a beautiful ambiance and is ideal for an important day.
• The Croft and Kingsbridge pubs which face the river are each nice choices if you need a pub lunch, or for one thing lighter, the Bourton Riverside cafe does nice fairly priced sandwiches.
• One other in style 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 usually rather less busy.  

Visiting Bourton on the Water on a finances? Don’t fear, you’ll be able to choose up one thing to remove from The Cornish Bakery or the Chip Shed, positioned 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 choose 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. Due to this fact, when you have a particular place you wish 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 encompassing Cotswolds Countryside, or just take pleasure in a leisurely stroll across the village, visiting the retailers 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 stunning countryside and village views. 

For a nice quick stroll, which requires no map, stroll in the direction of the Conflict Memorial and Cotswold Motor Museum within the centre of the village and observe the River Windrush alongside the Windrush Means. You may stroll a brief distance alongside the riverside path till you’ve had sufficient, after which flip round and are available again the identical means. 

For those who’re feeling energetic, you’ll be able to follow this 10 mile walk from Bourton on the Water, strolling to the picturesque villages of Lower 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 online. 

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 take pleasure in a bit of 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 an amazing place to paddle your toes, or for kids to play, particularly on a sizzling summer time’s day. 

Buy groceries

There are many nice little boutiques and unbiased retailers within the village, making Bourton on the Water an amazing place to buy one thing distinctive. You may stroll across the village in a loop, stopping at varied retailers 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 retailers, promoting handmade crafts, candles, homeware and jewelry. Additionally on the excessive avenue is the Victorian Christmas store, the place you should purchase stunning hand painted Christmas decorations and baubles all 12 months spherical. 

If in case you have a candy tooth, be sure you cease at Candy Reminiscence sweet store, or Bourton’s Little Candy store, to replenish on quaint candies and sweets to take residence with you. 

Deal with your self to an ice cream

The day is coming to an finish and also you’ve achieved loads of strolling, so it’s time to deal with your self! There are two nice ice cream retailers within the village, each positioned 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 an alternative. 

The way to get to Bourton on the Water

One of the simplest ways to journey to Bourton on the Water within the Cotswolds is by automobile. 

• Parking: There are two massive pay and show automobile parks positioned within the village at Station Road (GL54 2EN) and Rissington Road (GL54 2BN). The machines at each of those automobile parks solely settle for playing cards, nevertheless you need to use 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. For those who experience a bike, you’ll be able to park freed from cost at Rissington Highway automobile park. Notice that motorhomes and caravans can solely park on the Station Highway automobile park and you may solely enter and exit the village from Station Highway. 

• Public transport: One of the simplest ways 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. (Notice 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 retailers, tea rooms and cafes in Bourton on the Water, you will have to know some sensible info 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 select up maps of the native space and strolling trails in addition to info on native points of interest. The customer centre is located on Victoria Avenue, behind Victoria Village Corridor. It’s only open at chosen occasions 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 on your day trip. For those who 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 positioned 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 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 finest locations to go to within the Cotswolds and due to this fact it’s in style year-round. Nonetheless, it’s notably busy on the weekends through the summer time months and in the summertime holidays. Parking could be difficult throughout this time and lots of cafes and eating places have lengthy ready occasions at lunch. 

One of the best time to go to Bourton on the Water is exterior of the summer time holidays and through mid-week. While the hotter summer time months attract a lot of the guests, additionally it is an amazing place to go to within the autumn and winter, because the village tends to be much less crowded through the cooler months. It’s also an amazing place to buy Christmas presents! If you’re eager to go for Sunday lunch in Bourton on the Water, nevertheless, be sure you e book forward. Sunday lunch within the Cotswolds is extremely in style anytime time of the 12 months! 

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