The Cotswolds walking tour & city guide

Bourton-on-the-Water

Bourton-on-the-Water is often called the Venice of the Cotswolds because of the River Windrush flowing through its village green, crossed by five elegant low stone bridges. The village has tea rooms, a model village, a motor museum and Birdland wildlife park, and is busy with visitors in summer.

More Cotswold villages

Nearby, Lower and Upper Slaughter are tiny, peaceful villages linked by a footpath along the River Eye. Stow-on-the-Wold is a hilltop market town of antique shops, and Bibury has Arlington Row, a famous terrace of 17th-century weavers' cottages. Castle Combe, Broadway and Chipping Campden are also among the most beautiful villages in England.

A classic Cotswold walk

Start on the green in Bourton-on-the-Water and stroll along the river past the bridges. Then follow the waymarked footpath across the fields to Lower Slaughter, with its old water mill, and on along the river to Upper Slaughter.

The walk from Bourton to Upper Slaughter is about 5 kilometers, through classic English countryside of meadows, stone walls and sheep. Return the same way or continue to Stow-on-the-Wold.

Visiting tips

The Cotswolds are best explored by car, as public transport between villages is limited. Visit on weekdays or early in the day to avoid crowds. The nearest train stations are Moreton-in-Marsh and Kingham, about 90 minutes from London.