The Best Cotswold Village: Wondrous Water Views and Stunning Cottages

Today I reveal my favorite Cotswold village of those that we visited during our recent trip to England. We only had time for three of the countryside towns and didn’t get to see Castle Combe, which I think would’ve been my favorite overall.

Bourton-on-the-Water was my favorite of the day and is a unique little village located along the peaceful Windrush river that flows next to charming cottages and shops. I’m drawn to water and historic architecture so this English gem truly drew me in. You can see the Duke of Wellington, and inn and pub, on the right side of the street.

 

Bourton-on-the-Water was the last Cotswold village we visited. We parked the car and walked past several homes like this with gravel drives and stone fences as we made our way toward the town center.

 

You’ll find old school phone booths like this throughout England. We saw them in Windsor, London, and Reading. Note the addition of the Queen’s crown.

 

I loved the shops in Bourton. There was a wonderful jewelry store called Highbridge Jewellers where I purchased a vintage pearl and amethyst ring (my birthstone is amethyst). The store is part of the Cotswold Fine Jewelry group and bears this interesting sign.

 

We also found cute Christmas ornaments, sheepskin slippers for hubby, and some other small items to serve as keepsakes while exploring this quaint Cotswold village.

 

We had afternoon tea on this outdoor patio. I don’t remember the name of the restaurant but the scones and clotted cream were wonderful (and now I’m hooked and trying to find afternoon tea places in the Chicago area). It started sprinkling so we enjoyed our tea underneath our umbrellas.

 

A path extends along the river next to the shops and restaurants, while more stores and homes are located on the other side of the road across the stone bridges.

 

A row of stone townhouses hug the Windrush River in Bourton-on-the-Water.

 

One thing I love about the English is their fetish for gardens – just like me. Messy or manicured, they were everywhere and beautiful.

 

A blooming wisteria adds color to a stone and iron fence along the river.

 

Picket fences, stone fences, and wrought iron fences define property spaces throughout the Cotswold area.

 

Gentle streams are found around every corner of Bourton-on-the-Water, which is no surprise. The crystal clear babbling brooks make the town even more charming and delightful. Plus this village wasn’t as crowded as Stow-on-the-Wold which made it more pleasing to me and my daughter.

 

The Cotswold area is a must-visit if you’re heading to England anytime in the future. It’s worth the drive from London and I hope to go back someday soon. I’d like to see the other countryside villages and visit Bristol and Bath, too.

 

I think I’ve got two more England posts coming up. I still need to share Windsor and London with you. This morning I told my hubby I want to go to Ireland to see the puffins in person. Time will tell!