Have you ever been to a village so scenic you've mistaken it for a film set? Nestled in the heart of the countryside is one settlement that has left tourists bewildered by its beauty08:29, 08 Jul 2026One UK village is so pretty that it leaves tourists asking how much they need to pay just to wander along its quaint streets lined with golden-stone cottages and traditional shop facades.‌If you've ever been to the Cotswolds, you'll be well aware of how beautiful their settlements are, with picture-perfect scenes that look like they've been plucked from a fairytale. There's Bibury, home to the iconic Arlington Row cottages hailed as the 'most beautiful village in England'; Broadway, celebrated as the 'Jewel of the Cotswolds' for its wide high street; and Burford, famously described as the 'Gateway to the Cotswolds'.‌Recently, I visited one of the most notable Cotswolds gems, Bourton-on-the-Water - otherwise known as the 'Venice of the Cotswolds'.‌While it's a far cry from the gondolas in the floating Italian city, it's easy to see similarities in the serene river and enchanting stone bridges that characterize the village. Plus, it's homemade Cotswolds ice cream served from traditional carts and pizzerias certainly helps.Aside from offering a little slice of Italy without the two-hour flight, Bourton-on-the-Water, nestled along the River Windrush, is home to immaculate lawns, honey-coloured cottages and narrow lanes. There are traditional English pubs for a refreshing pint in the sun, tearooms for that quintessential cream tea, and a plethora of independent shops with classic facades that are as charming as the village's idyllic atmosphere.‌So it's no surprise that Bourton-on-the-Water attracts around 300,000 tourists each year from all over the world, eager to explore the chocolate-box village despite its small population of around 4,000 residents. Locals have noted the Covid pandemic as a contributor to the village's overwhelming demand, as Brits sought to venture a little closer to home, with the village also going viral on social media during that unprecedented time.‌With its fairytale scenes gracing social media and thousands descending on the village by the coachloads, many have assumed they've needed to pay an entrance fee to simply marvel and explore Bourton-on-the-Water. "A lot of people don't realise that the village itself is free, and a lot of people ask me how much it costs," one resident told me.The car park worker added: "They ask, how much it is to enter the village. They don't realise that it's not somewhere you need to pay for."Yet, there's something else that has left tourists confused. "I get asked, quite regularly, 'What time do you close?', as in the village. I say, 'Well, the village itself doesn't, but the shops do'. There's no opening or closing of the village, no."‌Despite the constant queries, the resident acknowledged why holidaymakers might be baffled. "If you've travelled internationally and have seen Bourton-on-the-Water on social media, you wouldn't necessarily know that it is free. It does look like someone's going to shut the gates and close."I wander around Bourton-on-the-Water, which is enough to understand why some visitors might be confused about needing to pay an entrance fee, with its backdrop resembling a film or television set, with scenes you might find in Channel 5's All Creatures Great and Small. This is only enhanced by the sheer number of tourists who flock to the village. Even during a weekday afternoon, you might struggle to find a table at the tearoom or face a lengthy queue for their award-winning chippy.‌"We get a lot of people from Birmingham and Bristol, because it's only around 45 minutes away, so they think this is the seaside", Rebecca Olivia, who works at Bourton's Little Sweet Shop, said. "People play around the river with the kids, and during peak times, you can barely see the village green."On the village's popularity, Rebecca added: "During Covid, people were looking to escape, and they would drive out. This village was on social media, people were bored at home, Bourton-on-the-Water came up, and I swear that's why it's busy now."‌But locals agree it wouldn't be what it is today without their devoted tourists. "We wouldn't have all this without visitors. We have five pubs, cafes, restaurants and really nice places. There are some amazing places in the Cotswolds, but there's nothing to do, but we have this, so it's there to be had," the local ice cream legend, Allan Hymers, said.However, tourists overwhelming the small village, particularly during peak holiday seasons and weekends, has presented problems in the area. A survey earlier this year by Bourton Residents' Voice found that 92.6% of residents reported traffic and parking issues in the area, according to the BBC.Meanwhile, the survey of more than 200 Bourton-on-the-Water residents found that 94.6% believed there were too many tourists, and 90.8% of villagers felt that tourism negatively affected their quality of life. Yet, some locals have wondered what the village would be like without its popularity.‌A punter at the Kingsbridge pub said: "There are a lot of independent shops in Bourton-on-the-Water, but without most of the tourists, would they survive? If we didn't have visitors, there might just be two pubs, one newsagent's and a chip shop, that's it."Yet with its undeniable Cotswolds charm and picture-perfect scenes, it's hard not to warrant a trip to Bourton-on-the-Water, even more so when it's 'free entry'...Article continues belowDo you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com