Bourton on the Water

THE VENICE OF THE COSTWOLDS

I'm not going to lie, I'd never heard of Bourton on the Water until it was recommended by a friend when she heard I would be in The Costwolds area. She said to make sure to see "The Model Village", which is a miniature replica of Bourton On Water itself. More on that later.

I was actually staying in a lodge on a campsite. Functionally, this was a two-bed cabin, with an open plan kitchen/sitting area. All the amenities in a modern dwelling were available, with the exception of WiFi. I didn't need that anyway, the 4G signal on my phone was stronger than it usually is back home. I wasn't looking for a camping/glamping experience anyway - just needed to get away from London for a little while.

For whatever reason, I've referred to this region of England as "west England" when in fact it's "central England". The Costwolds spans multiple counties across West Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire

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Architecture

The very first thing that caught my eye when arriving in The Costwolds is the architecture of the buildings. From the large ancient buildings like churches and museums, to small residential homes, there was a common unifying theme - they were built with stone. This gave an ageless, coherent, look to everything.

When the car park toilet building looks like this, you know you're in for an architectural treat

Tourism

It's quite clear that one of the main sources of the town's revenue, if not the main source, is tourism. One of the tell tale signs is the sheer number of conveniences targeted at visitors; hotels, hostels, inns, cafes, bars, restaurants, tea houses and places to buy ice cream. I can imagine that people would visit here throughout the year, but more in summer time, and just sit around drinking tea and watching the world go by.

The area is not coastal, so there is no sea-side, but there's plenty of water. As such, this is still a pretty popular summertime destination, and one where I'd love to visit in such a season. The River Windrush, which flows through the heart of the town, provides ample opportunity for riverside benches with beautiful vistas. There are a few bridges that cross the river. They, like most of the buildings in the town, are made of stone. Some are foot bridges not suitable for vehicles while some can carry vehicles. The low-arched design of the stone bridges, built between 1654 and 1953 earned the town the nickname "Venice of the Costwolds".

The Model Village

I've been calling this place a town, but it's officially a village. For me, a must-see when visiting this village is The Model Village, which is a miniature depiction of the core of Bourton on the Water. It is situated in, or is it behind, The Old New Inn, which itself is a must see. The signage says it was built in 1938, which doesn't seem that old, but it looks to me to be at least two centuries older than that. The miniature village itself was built and officially opened in 1937

Apart from miniature replicas of the important buildings around the village, complete with roads, river and bridges, there are also ongoing projects of miniature depictions of events and scenes. You have to pay more to access that part, though it's not much money.

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Thoughts

At just over two hours drive from London, The Costwolds area isn't too far from me, and I'll definitely be throwing this into my usual mix of Kent, Sussex and Suffolk countryside getaways. It's so Olde England there and extremely charming. Bourton on the Water must also be one of the cleanest villages I've ever been to in the UK. The streets are spotless even in the busy village centre.

I'd be going back for sure, but in summer time, just so I can sit around in those outdoor cafes and tea joints, perhaps with an ice-cream, watching people going about their business in such a beautiful place. I also think I didn't get enough time to experience the place since I only was there for one day. It was a cold windy day with the rain having just stopped for a couple of hours, so it wasn't the best scenario for tourism.

I highly recommend this village to anyone looking to get out of the hustle and bustle of London, or any major city, for a quieter, more beautiful environment. You can stay in the village itself, but I'd advice you to find somewhere on the outskirts to stay. It'll be much cheaper, and if you have a car, you'd get to drive through the winding countryside mountain roads too.

Peace & Love,

Adé