Bourton-on-the-Water - River Windrush & Green

Navigating The Route

This is a circular picture-only Spy Mission around Bourton-on-the-Water, with Agents racing to recover the missing combination for a locked Spell Box containing the counter-spell needed to stop troublesome witch Ima Pain and her magical mayhem.

The mission covers approximately 1.2 miles and should take around 1.5 hours to complete. You'll begin beside the River Windrush in the village centre, investigate High Street, Station Road and Rissington Road, follow riverside paths and footbridges, then head through the village streets, past the school and church before returning towards the centre.

This Trail is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The route is mostly flat and follows paved surfaces, making it a relatively easy-going mission, although there are road crossings and busy village areas to negotiate. Keep Mini Agents close, particularly around High Street and near the river.

Getting There

Time to assemble your Agents and begin Operation Spell Breaker:

Your mission begins at the village sign in the centre of Bourton-on-the-Water, on High Street (GL54 2AN), using ///profited.tree.bypasses.

By car: For the spy-mobile, use either Rissington Road car park (GL54 2BN), using ///gliders.munch.stage, or Bourton Vale car park behind the Co-op on Station Road (GL54 2EN), using ///lushly.nicer.debut.

By public transport: Make your way into the centre of Bourton-on-the-Water, then head for the village sign on High Street to begin the mission. The circular route brings you back towards the same central area when Ima's spellwork has finally been unravelled.

Need the Loo?

Even elite Agents need a tactical comfort break between magical emergencies. Toilets are available near Clue 15, not far from the starting area, and there are also facilities at Rissington Road car park if you're parking there.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Agents can join the outdoor operation 🐾

The route mainly uses paved village streets and riverside paths, but keep canine recruits close around traffic, footbridges, busy visitor areas and the River Windrush. There are also plenty of local ducks around, so any dog with strong undercover-waterfowl ambitions may require particularly firm supervision.

Food & Drink Stops

Counter-spell cracking can seriously deplete the snack reserves.

There are plenty of refreshment stops around the route, or pack your own supplies and enjoy a picnic if the weather is behaving itself. The riverside setting gives the squad plenty of opportunities for a scenic pause before plunging back into Ima Pain's magical chaos.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Bourton's Motoring Museum and BRUM

One of the mission stops takes you to the home of the real BRUM, the pint-sized TV hero based on a half-scale late-1920s Austin 7 'Chummy'. If your Agents fancy extending the day, the museum makes a particularly fun extra for families and anyone who remembers BRUM racing off to save the day.

River Windrush

Bourton's famous riverside is an easy place to linger once the mission is complete. Find a spot for a picnic, watch the water drift beneath the footbridges and enjoy the village at a less frantic pace once nobody's threatening to transform the teapots.

Duck Feeding

If agents fancy feeding Bourton's ducks, skip the bread and bring healthier treats such as sweetcorn, chopped lettuce, defrosted peas, oats, seeds or rice. Offer only a little at a time. Nobody needs Ima Pain accidentally conjuring the world's largest mallard.

Bourton-on-the-Water Village Centre

Once the Spell Box is safely dealt with, the compact village centre makes it easy to spend longer browsing, stopping for refreshments and enjoying the riverside surroundings. With such a short mission, there's plenty of scope to turn the clue-cracking into a fuller Bourton day out.

The Model Village

Bourton-on-the-Water’s famous Model Village is a brilliant extra for families after the mission. This miniature version of the village lets you explore Bourton all over again, only at a rather more secret-agent-friendly scale. Keep an eye out for tiny versions of landmarks you may have just passed on your mission.