It’s not news that England is home to plenty of gorgeous villages scattered around the country and one has been named the most beautiful.
The holiday home provider Independent Cottages has compiled a list of England’s prettiest villages based on factors such as the number of historic buildings, the oldest recorded existence of the village, whether each village is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and how many TikTok posts feature each contender, showing their visual appeal. Bourton-on-the-Water came out on top and this picturesque village in Gloucestershire is often nicknamed the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’.
It's known for its traditional honey-coloured Cotswolds stone buildings, bridges crossing the River Windrush and the quaint atmosphere that attracts many visitors. TikTok user and mum Helen Belden posted a clip showing the beauty of Bourton-on-the-Water and declared that the idyllic village ‘has her heart.’
As children are off school for the summer holidays, parents are looking for ways to keep them entertained and where they go for family-friendly days out. Helen urges those who only have time to visit one village in the Cotswolds to make it Bourton-on-the-Water.
Her TikTok video captures the iconic Cotswolds stone buildings, the riverside benches where tourists can sit down and enjoy the scenery, and a bakery by the river. In the caption of the post, the toddler mum warned that the pretty village “can get very busy” so she shared her four top tips to get the most out of it.
Her first piece of advice is to visit Bourton-on-the-Water on a weekday if possible and to arrive early. Helen said: “We went on a Tuesday morning and there were plenty of people about but it wasn’t the kind of busy that quickly gets annoying, especially if you have children with you who could easily get lost in a crowd!”
It can be irritating getting caught up in crowds of people when visiting somewhere new or having to wait in long queues so it’s best to get there earlier rather than later. This often allows for a more pleasant experience.
Tourists with a pushchair or wheelchair are likely to find car parks more convenient than parking on the street. Helen recommends heading to Rissington Road car park but she noted that it gets busier as the day goes on.
According to Cotswolds.org, Burton-on-the-Water has two large two pay and display car parks that are open all year round. One is on Rissington Road and the other is on Station Road.
Continuing her tips for anyone visiting this beautiful Cotswolds village, Helen suggests downloading the PayPyPhone parking app. She added: “Phone signal isn’t brilliant in the car park (or anywhere in the village) and although there’s WiFi, it’ll help you move so much faster if you’re prepared!”
Parking can be a struggle when visiting somewhere new so having an app downloaded ahead of time means you can pay for parking on your phone for arrival and then get on with your day This removes the need to queue up at a parking machine or face issues with not being able to download the app when you get there.
Helen’s final tip is to plan your day, saying there is “so much more to do in Bourton than just wander around the pretty village and get lunch.” She named a few of the attractions as examples, including the Model Village, Dragonfly Maze and the Cotswold Motoring Museum.
Her TikTok video has garnered hundreds of views and several likes. One user who has also visited Bourton-on-the-Water commented: “This was our favourite too! So gorgeous.”
