Circular Walk Around Bourton on the Water
Enjoy a walk through this lovely village known as the 'Venice of the Cotswolds'. The High Street is particularly picturesque with the River Windrush running through it with several pretty little stone bridges crossing. This walk makes use of the North Cotswold Diamond Way and the Oxfordshire Way to take you through the countryside to the nearby fishing lakes. You could also extend your walk by following the Windrush Way west along the river.
The walk also passes Birdland which has a variety of exotic birds and a collection of penguins. There is a large pond full of salmon which can be fed by the public. The 1930s Model village and Model Railway Exhibition are also well worth seeing.
To extend your walking from the village try our Circular Walk from Bourton through Naunton and The Slaughters. It will take you to the village of Naunton along the river before heading to The Slaughters where there's lovely paths along the River Eye to enjoy.
Postcode
GL54 2BN - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsBourton on the Water Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Bourton on the Water Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Bourton on the Water OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Bourton on the Water Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Explore the Area with Google Street View 
Walks near Bourton on the Water
- North Cotswold Diamond Way - This diamond shaped walk was created by the RA's North Cotswold Group to celebrate the 60th Jubilee in 1995
- Oxfordshire Way - Take a trip through Oxfordshire and enjoy rivers, canals, pretty villages and beautiful countryside on this lovely trail
- Windrush Way - This lovely walk through the Cotswolds runs from Bourton on the Water to Winchcombe
- Circular Walk from Bourton through Naunton and The Slaughters - This popular circular walk from Bourton on the Water uses the waymarked Windrush Way and Warden's Way to visit several of the villages in the surrounding area
- The Slaughters - This short walk between these two delightful Cotswolds villages is a favourite for visitors to the region
- Walk from Bourton on the Water to Lower Slaughter - A short circular walk through a particularly lovely part of the Cotswolds
- Stow on the Wold to Bourton on the Water Walk - This linear walk joins these two picturesque Cotswolds village using a series of waymarked footpaths
- Rissington Round - A circular walk from Great Rissington visiting Little Rissington, the Cotswolds Carp Farm and Bourton on the Water
- Windrush Way Circular Walk - This route uses sections of several waymarked walking trails to create a long circular walk through a lovely area of the Cotswolds.
- Moreton-in-Marsh Circular Walk - This circular walk from Moreton-in-Marsh makes use of the Monarch's Way and the Heart of England Way to explore the countryside, villages and woodland surrounding the popular Cotswolds town
Pubs/Cafes
The Mousetrap Inn is a good choice for some post walk refreshments. The pub does excellent food and also has its own art gallery with landscape paintings in oil by local artist Silvi Schaumloeffel. There's a cosy, attractive interior with a log fire while outside there's a garden area for warmer days. You can find the inn at Lansdowne with a postcode of GL54 2AR for your sat navs.
Dog Walking
The village and surrounding countryside are a good place for a dog walk. The Mousetrap Inn mentioned above is also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Bourton is a real tourist honeypot so there's plenty of other activities you can try. If you're a car enthusiast then the Cotswold Motoring Museum is a must see. There's vintage cars, old caravans, fine looking motorcycles and classic old motoring signs to see here. It's housed in the Old Mill on Sherborne Street with a postcode of GL54 2BY for your sat navs.
If you'd like to continue your exercise in the outdoors then Birdland is a great option. There's nice footpaths to follow to woodland, river and gardens where you can look out for hundreds of birds including swans, King Penguins, pelicans, flamingos, hornbills, cranes, storks, cassowar and owls.
The Rissington Round is a nice circular walk which also passes the village. It visits the series of lakes at the nearby Cotswolds Carp Farm before heading to the picturesque villages of Little Rissington and Great Rissington.
The Windrush Way Circular Walk starts and finishes in the village. It uses several of the waymarked footpaths running through the area to visit a number of neighbouring villages.
The Donnington Way - Cotswolds Pub Walk passes through the village. The long circular walk visits 15 fine old Donnington Brewery pubs in the Cotswolds.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Cotswolds Walks page.
Photos
The mill and old stone footbridge over the River Windrush.
Taken on one of the four footbridges across the river.
Looking south-east to the most downstream of the bridges in the village.
War Memorial, Bourton-on-the-Water
Lake at Bourton on the Water. Bench and lake at Bourton on the Water near Cotswold Carp Farm
Converted Mill House. This private house has the garden on an island to the left with the main dwelling on the right. Looks like the river Windrush flows underneath the lounge!
The Motor Museum. This popular Gloucestershire village on the shallow River Windrush attracts hordes of day trippers from the West Midlands conurbation on a fine day. The museum itself is built in typical Cotswold stone.
Restaurant alongside the river, Bourton on the Water