We decided to make the most of (what seems to be) the last few days of Summer by taking a trip to Bourton on the Water for a change of scenery and a wander in the sun.

We only live about 40 minutes away, but I’d never been, so we thought why not go for a look around and a bit of lunch by the river.

We got a baguette from a nice little corner cafe called The Den, where they sell various lunch options, coffees and cakes, as well as catering really well for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, etc. I’d definitely return there again if we are back in Bourton.

There are quite a few other cafes and bakeries, along with a few pubs (and about a thousand ice cream shops).
The sit-down style restaurants/pubs were extremely busy though, with queues outside almost all of them. I spoke to a local shop owner and was told this was a quiet day, so it might be worth pre-booking if you know where you want to eat. Alternatively there is plenty of grass and wall space along the river to sit on, with a few benches around if you can find one available!

Parking at Bourton on the Water looks like it could be difficult on a busy day, but we parked near Co-op in what seems to be the ‘main’ car park.
Car park postcode – GL54 2BQ. £4.50 for 3hrs.

Overall I thought Bourton was a lovely little place to spend a couple of hours relaxing and having a bit of lunch by the river.
The “Venice of the Cotswolds” reputation is a little bit of a stretch in my opinion, but it’s a very pretty, stereotypically English village that’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the Cotswolds.
We’d like to re-visit on a quieter day in Autumn when the trees are turning for some great photos!