Football in the River and the rest of Bourton's year

Bourton changes completely through the year, and not only because of the weather. These are the fixed points worth planning around.

August Bank Holiday Monday: Football in the River

Bourton Rovers, the village football club, put goalposts in the Windrush in the middle of the village and two teams of club players play a match in the river. The club says the tradition dates back to the early twentieth century, that the game is played in ankle-deep water and typically lasts around 30 minutes, and that spectators line the stone bridges and the grassy banks. It is a fundraiser for the club's grassroots football, with stalls and refreshments around it.

The club publishes the day, every August Bank Holiday Monday, rather than a date or a kick-off time. In 2027 the summer bank holiday falls on Monday 30 August, so that is when the match is expected, though the club had not announced it in October 2026. Watch the club's own page for the date and time, get there early if you want to see the ball rather than the back of someone's head, and assume every car park will be full. The 801 bus, which runs on public holidays, is a better way in.

Summer: early starts

From spring to the end of the school holidays the green is busy from mid-morning. The Model Village keeps its summer hours of 10am to 5.30pm while the clocks are forward, Birdland feeds its penguins at 11am and 3pm every day, and the Dragonfly Maze sells its limited time slots on the day from the kiosk; on bank holidays, it warns, they can sell out by mid-afternoon. Buy a slot in the morning for later. Bakery on the Water opens at 8am, which is the time to be by the river.

Spring: the meadows

Greystones Farm, the Wildlife Trust reserve on the edge of the village, is at its best from May, when the orchids flower in the meadows, and the Trust reopens the meadows walk after the wet months depending on water levels. This is also the best time for the walk to the Slaughters, before the summer crowds and while the paths are drying out.

Autumn and winter: shorter days

When the clocks go back the Model Village closes at 3.30pm and Bakery on the Water at 4pm. The Motoring Museum, under cover in the old mill, lists daily hours of 10am to 6pm; check its site over Christmas and New Year. Birdland is open every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

At Christmas a tree stands in the middle of the Windrush, lit up over the water, as the Mousetrap Inn describes it, and the parish council organises a Christmas lights switch-on. The 2026 date had not been published when this guide was written, so check the parish council's site nearer the time.

Through the year at the inns

The Old New Inn runs a calendar of themed nights, from curry and Italian evenings to bank holiday live music. Next on its list when this guide was written was a Beaujolais Nouveau night on Thursday 19 November 2026. The Mousetrap Inn, 30 minutes from Cheltenham Racecourse by its own reckoning, serves breakfasts for race week.