Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds of Gloucestershire has been described as the Venice of the Cotswolds, a comparison that perhaps flatters the village's modest scale but which captures accurately the quality that makes it one of the most visited villages in England: the River Windrush flows through the centre of the village between a series of low stone bridges and broad, closely mown grass verges, creating a linear water garden of considerable charm that gives Bourton a character quite unlike the purely terrestrial villages of the broader Cotswolds.
The sequence of small stone bridges spanning the Windrush at intervals through the village provides the series of riverside viewpoints that defines the Bourton experience. The water is clear and the flow generally gentle, ideal conditions for paddling in summer and for the small boats and ducks that animate the river scene. The low bridges, their arches reflected in the still water between them, are photographed constantly and appear in virtually every image of the Cotswolds in popular media.
The village has developed a range of attractions that supplement the natural charm of the riverscape. The Birdland bird park, the Cotswold Motoring Museum with its Brum TV car, the Model Village, a miniature recreation of Bourton itself at one-ninth scale, and the various tea rooms, shops and restaurants clustered along the high street have made Bourton one of the most visitor-intensive settlements in the Cotswolds, which can make the village feel crowded on summer weekends. Early morning and evening visits, or a visit outside the main summer season, give the village back something of the quality that its riverside setting deserves.
The surrounding Windrush valley provides excellent walking through a sequence of attractive villages including Bourton's neighbour Clapton-on-the-Hill and the larger market town of Burford downstream.