Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire
Tuesday May 8, 2012
The village of Bourton-on-the-Water is only about 10 miles NW of Burford.
The drive there was pleasant - one of my least stressful, from Oxfordshire into Gloucestershire through a pretty little place and lovely countryside with sheep. Parking was easy because the lot (pay parking if I remember correctly) was situated before the village.
A shallow river runs through it making it picturesque. I ruled it out as a place to stay because I'd read it was very touristy, and it is. It may be splitting hairs but my impression was that Burford is a town with a lot of tourists, but Bourton-on-the-Water is a tourist town (village). Unlike Burford, it is flat so there were many elderly visitors, some in wheelchairs. Shopping and eating are main events. There are attractions too such as Birdland, a model railway (which I passed on - it would have been a little too strange without Glenn) and a maze which, believe it or not, I didn't visit either. Perhaps that was the main difference. Burford doesn't have such attractions.
It seemed less hoity-toity than Burford and maybe a bit friendlier. I was happy though with my choice of place to stay. I was also happy that the weather had taken a turn for the better and the sun was making an appearance.
It seemed less hoity-toity than Burford and maybe a bit friendlier. I was happy though with my choice of place to stay. I was also happy that the weather had taken a turn for the better and the sun was making an appearance.
The Windrush river again. Here, its average depth is just ten inches.
It's a pleasant stroll along the river.
Charming. The place has a good feeling to it, but then, it is in the Cotswolds.
Someone commented that the bridges have no railings. It makes for a nice look, I think, and there is something refreshing about trusting that people will have sense to not fall off... though they wouldn't have far to go if they did. Even I wouldn't drown in 10 inches of water.
At last I found out what staddle stones were for. These small ornaments were in a shop. The sign in front of them reads: Virtually unchanged in design for hundreds of years, staddle stones were originally used to raise tithe barns and granaries off the ground. This was to prevent vermin and moisture from reaching the produce. Now extremely popular as garden ornaments.
Here, they (staddle stones) are used as fence posts.
I stopped for cream tea - two scones with Cornwall cream and jam - but can't remember where exactly. It might have been at the cafe pictured directly below. Wish I'd had room for an ice-cream cone. Glenn would have had one of those.
I wrote then that there must be an airport nearby as lots of planes were flying around. There are probably a few, including RAF airfields.
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