Bourton-on-the-Water Shopping
A pedestrian bridge across the River Windrush at Bourton-on-the-Water.
Bourton-on-the-Water is a large village in Gloucestershire, England in the Cotswolds area. It is known as the 'Venice of the Cotswolds' because of the bridge-spanned stream that runs through the village.
Bourton is still considered a village despite harbouring approximately 4,000 inhabitants. This is roughly equal to the combined population of nearby Stow-on-the-Wold and Burford, both of which are considered as small market towns.
Tourism
Bourton has a number of tourist attractions:
- The River Windrush is spanned by several attractive small road and footbridges. During the summer, a game of medieval football is played with goalposts set up in the river itself. Two teams play with a standard football, and a referee attempts to keep order. Crowds line the banks of the river, and the aim is to score as many goals as possible (while getting everyone else as wet as possible).
- The model village is a 1:9 replica of the village and includes a model of the model village itself (a model within a model). It was built by local craftsmen in the 1930s, and opened in 1937.
- The Model Railway.
- The Cotswold Motoring Museum (home of Brum).
- Birdland, an ornithological theme park, which is a collection of birds, from penguins through parrots to passerine (perching) birds and a large pond full of salmon which can be fed by the public. There are bird-of-prey displays and a penguin feeding demonstration.
- The Dragonfly Maze
- On the fourth Sunday of each month, there is a farmers' market.
Long-distance footpaths and local walks start, finish or pass through Bourton-on-the-Water. One such route that begins its 100-mile route north is the Heart of England Way.
The Fosse Way Roman road also runs close by.
Bourton is also home to Bourton on the Water Primary School and the Cotswold School, a co-educational comprehensive school.
Railway
Main article: Bourton-on-the-Water railway station
| Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station |
|---|
| Notgrove | | Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
Great Western Railway | | Stow-on-the-Wold |
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