Today’s post is 1475 words, 29 photos, a 7 minute read. Enjoy!
Hi everyone,
This week’s episode, we’ll walk from Stow-in-the-Wold to Bourton-on-the-Water, a distance of 4.5 miles. It’s a lovely and lively town and yes it’s on the water. If you missed the earlier posts in this series, click here and here.
If you recall from last week’s post, we were lodged at The Bell in Stow. There was a water issue in the village that resolved overnight. My Traveling Partner was rewarded with plenty of water during her morning shower, however it was icy cold, according to her. Despite the cold shower, we were anxious to eat breakfast and get on the trail for our second day of walking. Breakfast service was slow, as a result our walking sticks didn’t touch the ground until after 9:00 AM. True, it was a short walking day but we were ready to walk to someplace we haven’t been to before.
Why We Like A Walking Holiday
Walking holidays are very popular in Europe. There is a great trail system, lodging is readily available near the trails, and nearly every town or village has a pub and a tea room. It’s convenient, relaxing, and rejuvenating. Why we like walking holidays is because the pace is slower and the travel is more immersive. Every day brings a new landscape, new people, and new places. It’s less stressful than many other forms of vacationing. It’s simple in its structure, get up, eat, walk, eat, walk, eat, sleep, repeat. Walking is not without its perils such as getting lost, the potential for injury (a fall or twisted ankle) in a remote place, and of course the weather. The trick is to be prepared and flexible. And select a trail that meets your physical ability. We are looking for another walk for next year, we’ve got to do it while we are able.
Onward to Bourton-on-the-Water
After breakfast, we walked through town to pick up the trailhead. The first part of the trail was along a busy road with cars and lorries traveling both ways. After about 15 minutes of car noise, we finally reached the trail that cut through the countryside. Ah, so peaceful! The sounds of singing birds, the bleating sheep, mooing cows, and neighing horses filled our ears.
The walk was mostly uneventful. There were a few gently sloping hills and a couple of confusing directions that took us through the middle of a farm field.
After going through a stile (a gate in this case), we took heed of this sign. We kept a watchful eye out for the bull, there were no cattle in this pasture that day.
The walking trail took us through the village of Lower Slaughter, population 232. As we approached the village, we began to see elegant homes built with the famous Cotswold limestone.
On the edge of town, we walked through the city park where there was a football (soccer) field, a cricket pitch, and other sorts of recreation. I admired this old tractor used to mow the grass.
Lower Slaughter has been in existence for over 1000 years. By the way, the name Slaughter comes from a word in the Old English meaning slough or wet land. And yes, there is an Upper Slaughter, a few miles from the Lower along the River Eye.
The Parish of St. Mary’s began in the 13th century. The current church was built in the 1860s. As far as we could tell, the church is still in use although the notice on the bulletin board announced they were looking for a new vicar, the fill-in is moving on.
Another village, another war memorial. This one was located in the church yard.
Lower Slaughter is situated on both sides of the River Eye, a river 4.7 miles long and home to brown trout. One car bridge and a couple of foot bridges allow traffic to move from one side to the other.
The main attraction is the mill powered by a waterwheel. This one has been functioning since the 19th century. There is a museum but it was closed for renovations. Outside the museum was a concession trailer selling drinks and snacks. We rested for a few minutes before continuing our walk.
The two miles to Bourton-on-the-Water was mainly along farm fields, not as scenic as some parts of the trail. As you can see, the path is well worn.
As we came into Bourton there was a man trying his luck in the River Windrush. He made several casts as we passed him, didn’t look like he was having any luck.
As entered Bourton-on-the-Water, the trail took us on a path along the River Windrush. There were people walking on the narrow path, we’d step aside to let them pass. One old feller told my Traveling Partner that she should be using her walking sticks, they help with balance. She was a little taken back by his statement since we were walking on a level, concrete surface. We arrived in town at about 12:45 PM. To our surprise, there were tour buses and lots of people milling around the city center. The shops and restaurants were busy with lines out the door. I can see why, it’s a quaint, quintessential English village with interesting architecture, natural beauty, and attractions. It’s considered by some as the Venice of the Cotswold. A bit of an overstatement but nice all the same.
Our lodging in Bourton-on-the-Water was at the Chester House Hotel. Our bags were already delivered but our rooms weren’t ready. The helpful receptionist allowed us to store our backpacks and hiking poles while we had some lunch and looked around town. By the way, this was one of the nicest rooms we had on our inn-to-inn walk arranged by Macs. The room even came equipped with an old style rotary phone!
We scored a light lunch at a pub on one of the of the side streets away from the crowd. After eating, we walked along the River and took in the lovely setting. At one of the low bridges, there was a fellow selling ice cream. Meet Martin, a jovial purveyor of fine ice cream made nearby. I ordered my favorite, salted carmel, The Eldest the fudgesicle, and my Traveling Partner, a strawberry sorbet. We chatted for several minutes until more customers came along. He was a delightful and interesting addition to our day.
One of the main attractions in Bourton-on-the-Water is the Model Village constructed in a 1/9th scale. The model village was created in the 1930s by the owner of the Old New Inn to attract business to his pub and inn. For £4.25 (about $5.75 USD) for seniors and £4.75 (about $6.50 USD) for adults, one can see this miniature village. It was very well done. It appears to be kept up to date and looking nice. We enjoyed our time visiting this unusual attraction. It was certainly worth the price of admission.
The shallow River Windrush gently flows through the center of the town. There are bench to rest on and enjoy the ducks and geese swimming and diving for food at the bottom.
The war memorial is beside the river in the center of town.
Near the war memorial was this special honor. Dudley Johnson was born in Bourton-on-the-Water in 1884. He served in South Africa during the Second Boer. During World War I he was awarded several medals for his bravery. In 1914, he received the Distinguished Service Order for gallantry while rescuing several wounded men while under heavy machine gun fire. In 1918, he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious decoration in the British Empire. Just a week before the fighting ended in November, LTC Johnson was in command of a battalion ordered to cross a canal in France. After being repulsed by a heavy barrage of shelling, the battalion fell back and regrouped. LTC Johnson led another assault, this time it was successful due to his leadership. He continued his service until 1944 when he retired. 
This bridge is the main auto and walking thoroughfare in Bourton-on-the-Water.
It was recommended when we booked the trip to make a dinner reservation at the hotel restaurant. We were glad we did as the crowds in town clogged up many of the popular restaurants in town. The Italian food at the L’Anatra was delicious, the service excellent.
And now a summary of the five senses that we experienced during our walk.
Hear – sheep bleating, birds singing, traffic on the road, lots of different languages, water rushing, dogs barking, loud conversation
Smell – creosote (a wood preservative made from coal or wood tar), Italian cooking, red onions
Touch – cold and hot water, thorns, greasy and sticky stiles or gates
Taste – ice cream, house red wine, passionfruit Bellini, limoncello spitz, garlic bread, veggie egg rolls
See – model village, sheep, flowing water, horses (some with big feet), equestrian center, border collie, flowering trees, Creeping Charlie and dandelions, tractor
Next week we’ll walk from Bourton-on-the-Water to Naughton, a lovely one-horse town. Join me to find out what this means!
Until then, happy travels!
Tom
PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM