Villages: Upper & Lower Slaughter – Great, Little & Wyck Rissington – Upper Rissington – Clapton-on-the-Hill – Cold Aston (Aston Blank) – Notgrove – Sherborne – Northleach
Certainly one of, perhaps the best-known of the north Cotswold towns, this little gem on the water is unique in character as its neighbours. There is no denying that it is a favourite with visitors to the area, but it’s very easy to see why. Some of the views across the town are impossibly beautiful – Instagrammable, even! But what gives this town its uniqueness in this part of the world is the influence that feels different here. St Lawrence’s church, newly accessible, warm and functional, following a major refitting project in 2017 is one of very few churches with a domed roof, giving the place a Florentine feel. Although Bourton is actually known as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ so either way there’s definitely an Italian vibe. This is a town where there’s a football match in the river, a local colony of penguins, a model village – of the village itself – and handfuls of great places to eat and drink. Of all the Cotswold towns, this one is the writer’s favourite one to walk around at dawn and dusk, it opens itself up, somehow to see beyond the people and the signs for you to truly appreciate the architectural and natural beauty of the place.
The local school is consistently rated as outstanding by Ofsted and is currently Comprehensive School of the Year for the South West in The Sunday Times School Guide.
This is a busy town and there are opportunities for established and emerging businesses on the edge of the town, and the connections are great, with Cheltenham just a 30 minute drive away. The nearest train station is 18 minutes away, with trains to London Paddington in 90 minutes. With Bourton Rovers FC, Gymnastics at Cotswold Clubhouse and the Bourton Vale Tennis Club all within the town, it’s an active village too, complemented by the Freedom Leisure Centre Swimming Pool & Gym on the site of the school.
Top places to go and see before you move to Bourton-on-the-Water
Birdland – https://www.birdland.co.uk/
The Model Village at the New Inn – https://www.theoldnewinn.co.uk/model-village
Cotswold Motoring & Toy Museum – https://www.cotswoldmotoringmuseum.co.uk/
The Kingsbridge Pub – https://www.kingsbridgepub.co.uk/?utm_source=gbp&utm_medium=Yext&y_source=1_MTQ0NTM0MzMtNzE1LWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU%3D
Sports & Leisure activities for people living in Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton Rovers FC – https://bourtonroversfootball.com/
Bourton Vale CC – https://www.bourtoncricket.co.uk/
Cotswold Club House Gymnastics – https://www.ncgta.co.uk/
Bourton Value Tennis Club – https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/BourtonValeLawnTennisClub
Badminton Club – https://www.yourcircle.org.uk/Services/10607/Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton History Society – http://www.bourtononthewaterpc.org.uk/community/bourton-on-the-water-parish-council-7919/history-society/
