Located in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the historic village of Bourton-on-the-Water dates back to Neolithic times with over 100 buildings being Grade II listed or higher. The picturesque high street nestles alongside the River Windrush over which several low stone bridges span, which is why Bourton-on-the-Water is known as the Venice in the Cotswolds. Tradition states that an annual football match is played in the summer, in the River Windrush with the banks lined with spectators, with the aim to score as many goals as possible and get as wet as possible! The village has an eclectic range of visitor attractions, including The Model Village, Cotswold Motor Museum, Birdland Park and Gardens as well as a Dragonfly Maze, monthly farmers’ market as well as many tea rooms, an artisan bakery, antiques and craft markets, traditional sweet shop, cycle hire and its very own perfumery. Nearby, Stow-on-the-Wold, originally an Iron Age Fort, epitomises traditional England. This ancient market town has played host to many fairs since the 12th century and today holds a biannual Gypsy Horse Fair, craft fairs and monthly farmers’ market. The vast market square boasts an ancient cross at one end and the village stocks at the other, surrounded by an elegant array of Cotswold stone townhouses, antiques shops, tea rooms, traditional pubs, award-winning restaurants and its very own cricket museum. Also take a visit to the medieval town of Burford for a great day out where you can enjoy a trip to the Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens. The Saxon market town of Moreton-in-Marsh and the quintessential English village of Broadway are both within easy reach and make a great day out. The spa town of Cheltenham is, architecturally, the most complete Regency town in England with an incredible range of shops, cinemas, theatres, restaurants and pubs, it is famous for its horse racing festival in March, culminating in the Gold Cup steeplechase. Oxford, the oldest university city in England and sometimes called The City of Dreaming Spires has an abundance of prestigious attractions, including the 38 colleges of the university (half of which date back before 1600), the oldest university teaching room, the Bodleian Library, Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers Museums, and Botanic Gardens. Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Worcester and the waterfront city of Gloucester are also all within easy reach.
