The Porch House
What to order: a seasonal dish from the British menu and a pint of draught beer.
Book for dinner · has rooms
geocalia
Day itinerary · 51.88° N · 1.76° W
Two Cotswold villages on a Sunday, by train from Paddington and the 801 bus.
Train from Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh and the 801 bus, which runs hourly on Sundays. A morning in Stow, lunch at an old inn and an afternoon by the river in Bourton.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Londres fromAsturias 2 hBilbao 2 hBarcelona 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 30Palma de Mallorca 2 h 30Valencia 2 h 30Alicante 2 h 45Granada 2 h 45Málaga 3 hSevilla 3 h
Part of Cotswolds
Add to my trip
Total time12 h
By car2 h each way
From LondonTrain + bus · about 2 h
Bus 801Hourly on Sundays
WalkingAbout 2 h, flat
DifficultyEasy
Spend€45–75 pp excluding transport
With childrenYes, any age
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave London 1 h 30 by train
Great Western Railway from Paddington; choose one that reaches Moreton-in-Marsh before 10:40
- 15 min by bus · Pulhams bus 801 at 10:45 from the station stop, towards Cheltenham
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1
Stow-on-the-Wold
the market square, the sheep alleys and the church of the yews
- 3 min on foot
- 2
- 15 min by bus
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3
Bourton-on-the-Water and its miniature village
bus 801 at 14:05 from Stow library · Model Village £4.95, card only
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Back home 30 min by bus
bus 801 from Moore Hospital, in Bourton; at Moreton station at 17:45
- 1 h 30 by train · Great Western Railway to Paddington; check the Sunday timetable before you leave
Approximate cost
About €35–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Stow-on-the-Wold
The Cotswolds look like a place to go by car, and almost everyone does. But two of its best-known villages, Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water, are on the same bus line that leaves from Moreton-in-Marsh station, and Moreton is reached by a direct train from Paddington in an hour and a half. On Sundays the Pulhams 801 bus runs every hour, so the day can be put together without hiring anything and without driving on the left between stone walls.
The plan is simple: Stow in the morning, when the square is quiet; a long Sunday lunch in a stone inn; and an afternoon in Bourton, beside the River Windrush, with the model village for the children.
The day, hour by hour
8:50 · Train to Moreton-in-Marsh. Great Western Railway from Paddington, about 90 minutes without changes. Check the Sunday timetable in advance and choose one that arrives before 10:40.
10:45 · Bus 801 to Stow. The stop is at the station itself. Take the one towards Cheltenham: in twenty minutes you are in Stow.
11:05 · Stow-on-the-Wold. It is the highest town in the area, at 244 m. Walk around the wool market square, go down the narrow alleys once used to drive sheep through, and finish at St Edward's Church, with its north door between two yew trees.
12:30 · Lunch at The Porch House. A stone inn on Digbeth Street, two minutes from the square. On Sundays it serves lunch from 12:00 to 17:00, so you are not in a hurry. Book, especially from spring to autumn.
14:05 · Bus to Bourton. The same 801, from Stow library. A quarter of an hour.
14:20 · Bourton-on-the-Water. The Windrush runs through the centre beneath five low stone bridges. The Model Village reproduces the village at 1:9 scale and takes half an hour; it accepts cards only. In winter it closes at 15:30, so go in first.
17:15 · Back. Last 801 towards Moreton from the Moore Hospital stop; it reaches the station at 17:45. Then, a train to Paddington.
Is it for me?
If you do not want to drive and two well-seen villages are enough for you, yes. If you are after Bibury or Castle Combe, which appear in every photo, you need a car: they are not on this line. And if you can stay a night, Moreton has hotels five minutes from the station.
Time1 h 30
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Huffkins Burford
What to order: scones with cream and jam, or an afternoon tea.
Bakery and tea room at 96-98 High Street · open every day during the day, until 16:00 · has a children's menu
The Wild Rabbit
What to order: the dining room's seasonal menu.
Book · ten minutes by taxi from Kingham station
Takeaway and markets
Russell's Fish & Chips, Broadway
Daylesford Farm, Daylesford, near Kingham
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Cotswolds
All year, Sundays included: the Pulhams 801 bus runs every hour and The Porch House serves Sunday lunch from 12:00 to 17:00. In May, June and September the villages are green and free of the August queues; in winter it gets dark around half past four and the Model Village closes at 15:30.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Do not miss the last bus
On Sundays the last 801 towards Moreton leaves Bourton at 17:15. If you miss it, only a taxi is left.
- 2Bring a card
The Model Village does not accept cash, and almost everything works with contactless.
- 3Book lunch
The Porch House is small and Sunday is its busiest day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you go to the Cotswolds from London without a car?
Yes: a direct train from Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh, about 90 minutes, and the 801 bus to Stow and Bourton.
Does the 801 bus run on Sundays?
Yes, every hour in both directions between Moreton, Stow and Bourton, with the last return to Moreton at 17:15 from Bourton.
Where can you eat on a Sunday?
At The Porch House, in Stow, which serves Sunday lunch from 12:00 to 17:00.
Is it suitable with children?
Yes. Everything is flat and Bourton has the Model Village and Birdland, with penguins.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/england/cotswolds/itineraries/car-free-sunday-stow-and-bourton
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.