Cotswold Hiking Out & About

Bourton on the Water & Winchcombe

In this blog post on Cotswold Hiking we are going to look at two popular places Bourton on the Water & Winchcombe

Bourton on the Water is a village in Gloucestershire, England that lies on a wide flat vale within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The earliest evidence of human activity within the Bourton-on-the-Water area was Neolithic pottery dating to circa 4000 B.C. A Roman road, Icknield Street ran from the Fosse Way at Bourton-on-the-Water to Templeborough in South Yorkshire.

By the 11th century a Christian church, Norman, was established and the village had developed along the River Windrush much as it is today. The village was served by a passenger railway between 1862 and 1962.

Today, Bourton on the Water is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds, famous for its honey coloured stone architecture and the beautiful River Windrush running through it. Bourton is one of the most popular tourist villages. It offers a wealth of attractions and shops, restaurants and tea rooms.

Recommended places to eat:

Bakery on the Water http://www.bakeryonthewater.co.uk/

Smiths of Bourton   https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186283-d7060232-Reviews-Smiths_of_Bourton-Bourton_on_the_Water_Cotswolds_England.html

The Anglo Saxon town of Winchcombe is situated in a beautiful Cotswold valley. It’s location is halfway between Broadway and Cheltenham, in the county of Gloucestershire. it is often called the Cotswold Hiking Capital.

The name Winchcombe means ‘valley with a bend’, and today the town still retains street which curve gracefully along the ‘combe’.

The inns, restaurants, tea rooms, and shops set among Winchcombe’s three main streets are full of the character of times past. In the early 1600’s the Winchcombe area was know for tobacco growing. It was banned in 1619 due to the vested interest of the industry in America and other colonies.

Winchcombe sits on seven long-distance footpaths: The Cotswold Way, The Gloucestershire Way, the Wychavon Way, St Kenelm’s Trail, St Kenelm’s Way, the Warden’s Way and the Windrush Way.

Local Attractions to Winchcombe include nearby Sudeley Castle with it’ beautiful gardens. Queen Katherine Parr, one Of King Henry 8th’s wives, is buried here.

Recommended places to eat:

Food fanatics Deli  https://www.food-fanatics.co.uk/

The Plaisterers Arms  https://www.theplaisterersarms.com/

If you would like more information about our Cotswold Hiking Holidays, you can contact us here:
https://www.cotswoldwalkingco.com/contact-us/