Bourton-on-the-Water
A potted history of the village
Of Saxon origins
The name Bourton comes from the Saxon word BURGH which means a fort or camp and TON which means a village or settlement. There is evidence of far earlier settlements in this part of the Cotswolds. Stone Age and Bronze Age burial mounds are common throughout the area.
On the northern edge of the village is the site of a Stone Age encampment, which was subsequently occupied by later civilisations. Iron Age currency bars from about 300 BC were found on the site during excavations carried out in the last century. They are now in the British Museum.
The Romans and The Fosse Way
The Fosse Way, which passes on the western side of the village, was an important Roman road running from the West country to Lincolnshire. The Romans considered the crossing place on the River Windrush to be of strategic importance so they built a camp in the area that we now call Lansdowne.
The River Windrush
The river was much wider and deeper at that time and flowed to the south of the village across the meadows and along the present day Letch Lane. By the early 16th Century it had been channelled through the centre of the village in order to provide water power for three mills.
The Manor House
During the civil war, the area was loyal to the king. The Rector of Bourton-on-the-Water, Thomas Temple, was a tutor to the Royal Princes. The Rector lived in the Manor House opposite the church and Charles I paid several visits. At the Restoration in 1660, Charles II made Thomas Temple Bishop of Bristol in recognition of the support he gave to his father.
The Parish Church of St. Lawrence was built on the site of a pagan temple. Records show that a Saxon church occupied the site in 708 AD. The present building is a combination of 14th century chancel, a Georgian tower and a Victorian nave and this odd mixture of styles has resulted in a pleasant and interesting building.
The Bridges of Bourton-on-the-Water
The landmarks of Bourton-on-the-Water are the five bridges that cross the River Windrush, all constructed of local stone. At the western end of the village green is Mill Bridge built in 1654 and originally called Broad or Big Bridge. Next is the footbridge in the centre of the village green called High Bridge and was built in 1756. This is followed by New Bridge and was built in 1911 by a local benefactor named George Frederick Moore.
The footbridge, which stands close-by, is called Paynes Bridge built in 1776. In 1953, opposite the Old New Inn, the Coronation Footbridge was built to replace an earlier wooden structure.
Modern networking
When the railway was built to connect Cheltenham to the Midlands, a Mr. Pulham used a horse-drawn charabanc service to bring Midlanders over the hills from Cheltenham to Bourton-on-the-Water. Today Pulham’s coaches remain part of local life and visitors still come to see our lovely village.