The Cotswolds is a beautiful area of south west England and is famous for its honey-colored limestone cottages, quaint shops, and tea rooms. One particular place in the Cotswolds which I visited recently was the beautiful, picturesque village of Bourton on the Water.
Bourton-on-the-Water has a model village which is an exact replica of the village itself. The buildings are a one ninth scale of the real life ones and are built with all the finest details in mind. There is even a model village of the model village in the exact place it is on the map! There are tiny allotments with greenhouses, a church, cars, and even the river runs through just as it does in the village. The village took craftsmen 5 years to build, and was commissioned by the landlady and landlord of the Old New Inn (the pub next door to the model village). The attraction was opened in 1937 which was coronation day of the late queen mother.
Bourton-on-the-Water is also home to a model railway which covers 500 feet. Forty British and cross sea trains run around the tracks. Surrounding the trains are scenes of the countryside with mountains, fair grounds, open countryside, rivers, and factories.
There are many tea rooms offering cream tea, which is a scone with jam, cream and a cup of tea to wash it down. The tea room which I visited had a little grass area out the front and smelt of roast lamb and mint sauce.
The river Windrush runs through the village and had a fair few hungry ducks floating on top. There are a couple low arched brick bridges to walk over, just like there is in the model village. The riverside seemed to be the choice for dog walkers too; there were lots of dogs on leads trying to chase the ducks.
The shops are very quaint, full of little token gifts and unique items to take home; there is even a Christmas shop which is open all year round. All of the houses and shops are built using yellow limestone, a feature which differentiates the Cotswold’s from other villages. The houses in the Cotswold region have been called storybook style, with steep arch gables, roofs made using pseudo-thatch, and doorways with arches. Many of the houses are peculiarly shaped and rarely look the same as each other even though they are in the same style. The houses also have a wide chimney breast at the front of the building.
The place I visited was the perfect place to take photos of the stunning Cotswolds architecture and paddling ducks. There was a great deal to see and do, and history to take in even though it is not a huge town or city. It was somewhere to relax and take in your surroundings, unlike in a big city when often you spend much of the time on a bus or looking at a map.
