Bourton-on-the-Water
I had the opportunity to take a course at Oxford University in late August/early September. Caleb and I were fortunate enough to take a few days off before my class began so that we could explore Oxford and a few surrounding villages in the rural Cotswolds. The first village we explored was Bourton-on-the-Water.
Bourton-on-the-Water is famous for its stone bridges and the River Windrush that flows through the heart of the village. There’s truly no more peaceful town to enjoy a pastry and a morning walk. We immediately found our way to the Bakery on the Water and ordered pastries to go. We ordered a frangipane tart, a chocolate croissant, and a millionaire square. We ate them on a bench overlooking the river and watched the ducks.
I can’t tell you how incredible the millionaire squares were. We walked straight back to the bakery and ordered another. We even came back a few days later to order two more. On our third visit to the bakery, we shared millionaire squares and hot cocoa as I studied for my class. I highly recommend the grilled cheese and soup if you visit the bakery over lunch. I wish I could study in a bakery on the water every day!
After we finished our pastries, we took a long walk through the village, stopping to admire the elaborate gardens and beautiful stone homes as we walked. We made our way through the quaint shops along the river, too.
We found a toy shop that sold little packets of food for the ducks. I can’t remember the exact toy shop that sold us the food, but I’m sure most shops sell the same packets of food or could tell you the best place to find one.
I can’t say I’ve ever looked at a duck and thought, “Wow, you are so beautiful.” Everything in the Cotswolds looks beautiful and sweet. Whenever I see a duck now, I think about our time in Bourton-on-theWater. It’s funny how the same object or animal can have a new appeal in a new environment.
Unfortunately, it started raining shortly after lunch, so we ended our day in Bourton-on-the-Water early and decided to come back later in the week so that I could study in the bakery. We hopped in the car and drove about 15 minutes over to Stow-on-the-Wold. Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town with unique shops, places to eat, a farmer’s market, and the world’s cutest tea room. I’ll share more about our time in Stow-on-the-Wold in another blog post soon.
Until then, here are a few of my top tips for visiting Bourton-on-the-Water.
Try to visit earlier in the morning. The village is a popular tourist destination, and the streets will be filled with people by 10 am. The Bakery on the Water opened at 8 am, so we tried to arrive in the village right as it opened.
Bring an umbrella! After the downpours we experienced on this trip to Europe, we will never travel without an umbrella again.
Wear walking shoes. You will walk quite a bit, so wear comfortable shoes.
The Bourton-on-the-Water post office offers currency exchange.
Feeding the ducks is a cheap and fun activity, especially if you are traveling with kids.
There is wifi at Bakery on the Water, but it is spotty when the bakery is busy. I wouldn’t recommend working or studying at the bakery if Wi-Fi is vital to your tasks. Fortunately, my studies mainly required reading.
I hope you enjoy a lovely trip to Bourton-on-the-Water. If not soon, then someday.
