Walking tour · the Cotswolds

The Slaughters to Bourton

2.8 mi walk

Open in Stride Stories

The stories on this route

1. Upper Slaughter, the "doubly thankful" village

   Welcome to Upper Slaughter! We're starting in the village square, and the walk is about 3 miles, through Lower Slaughter to Bourton-on-the-Water. The path between the villages has field paths and stiles, so you may need to lift the stroller in places. Each story plays by itself when you reach its stop.

2. The River Eye and the path to Bourton

   Look at the water beside the path. This is the River Eye. It's a short river, only 7.6 kilometres from end to end, and it's home to brown trout. It goes by other names, too. The county history calls it 'the Ey or Slaughter brook'.

3. Lower Slaughter and the Old Mill

   Look up at the tall red-brick mill with its chimney. The houses around it are built of local stone, so the mill stands out. Even the county history says so: red brick, in striking contrast.

4. Slaughters Country Inn

   Look at the stone inn beside the brook, in the middle of Lower Slaughter. This is the Slaughters Country Inn, one of the hotels serving both Upper and Lower Slaughter.

5. Bourton-on-the-Water and its bridges and Bakery on the Water

   Look at the bridges over the Windrush. Each one has three arches, a slight hump and very low parapets. Even the later ones match. In the 1700s, four bridges already joined the two halves of the village. Narrow Bridge, opposite the green, dates from the 1750s. The main old crossing was Big Bridge, by the mill.

6. Box Bush

   Look at Boxbush House, the listed stone house on the High Street, facing the green.

7. The Model Village

   Look at the Old New Inn, and find its sundial, dated 1712. It was probably built as an inn in the early 1700s. So why the Old New Inn?

Stories researched September 2026 · every fact checked against a source