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Riverside
Windrush bridges and greens
Five low stone bridges, built between 1654 and 1953, cross the River Windrush beside the village's wide greens.
Directions Report a problem with Windrush bridges and greens
A mini guide to
Bourton-on-the-Water
Low stone bridges over the River Windrush, with a bird park and a model village
Photos
1 / 3Welcome to the area
Low stone bridges over the River Windrush, with a bird park and a model village
Bourton-on-the-Water sits on the River Windrush, which runs through the middle of the village beside wide greens and under five low stone bridges. It is sometimes called the Venice of the Cotswolds.
Birdland, the Model Village and the Motoring Museum are all within a few minutes' walk of the river, and the Greystones Farm nature reserve is on the edge of the village. Cotswold District Council charges a small levy in its main car park to help manage visitor numbers.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Bird park
Birdland Park and Gardens
Riverside park of gardens and aviaries with over 500 birds, including what it calls England's only breeding group of King Penguins.
Directions Website Report a problem with Birdland Park and Gardens
Model village
The Model Village
A 1:9 scale replica of the village, opened in 1937, that includes a model of the model village itself.
Nature reserve
Greystones Farm Nature Reserve
Free 66-hectare Wildlife Trust reserve of wildflower meadows and rivers, including the scheduled monument Salmonsbury Camp.
Directions Website Report a problem with Greystones Farm Nature Reserve
Heritage
Replica Iron Age roundhouse
A replica Iron Age roundhouse, reached from the Greystones Farm yard by a path suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Directions Report a problem with Replica Iron Age roundhouse
Museum
Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection
Museum of 20th-century motoring with cars, motorbikes, caravans, toys and memorabilia in the village centre.
Directions Website Report a problem with Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Bourton-on-the-Water and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Use the Rissington Road car park
Cotswold District Council's car park on Rissington Road adds a 50p tourism charge to each stay, which funds projects that manage visitor numbers.
2
Pay by phone or card
Council car parks no longer take cash. Use the PayByPhone app or contactless card at the machine, and type the app address in yourself rather than scanning a QR code.
3
Park in the village for Greystones
Greystones Farm has no car park. The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust says to park in Bourton and walk, about five minutes.
4
Check opening times first
Each attraction publishes its own times. Birdland lists its admission prices and opening times on its website, and the Motoring Museum posts closure dates there.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Everything for Bourton-on-the-Water
The Cotswolds
More areas to explore
8 sights · 12 places to eat
Burford
A steep medieval High Street running down to the River Windrush
Open the mini guide →
9 sights · 11 places to eat
Cirencester
A Roman town turned wool town, with a museum, a landmark church and an amphitheatre
Open the mini guide →
8 sights · 6 places to eat
Chipping Campden
A wool town of stone terraces, a 1627 market hall and the start of the Cotswold Way
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Bourton-on-the-Water (area photo): Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Windrush bridges and greens: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Birdland Park and Gardens: Tanya Dedyukhina, CC BY 3.0, source
- The Model Village: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Greystones Farm Nature Reserve: Graham Horn, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Replica Iron Age roundhouse: don cload, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection: Trevor Rickard, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cotswold Perfumery: Jo and Steve Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- St Lawrence's Church: pam fray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Lower Slaughter Old Mill: Graham Horn, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Burford: bongo vongo, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cirencester: Tony Grist, Public domain, source
- Chipping Campden: nick macneill, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Broadway: Jeff Gogarty, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stow-on-the-Wold: Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring the Cotswolds