The Model Village

Origins & Creation

  • The idea for this unique attraction originated in 1935, conceived by the then-owner of The Old New Inn, Mr C. A. Morris, eager to draw tourists and motorists to Bourton-on-the-Water.

  • Work began in 1936, with roughly eight local craftsmen meticulously measuring and constructing the entire village in 1:9 scale, using authentic Cotswold limestone for the walls and miniature Cotswold stone slates for roofing.

  • The Model Village officially opened to the public on 13 May 1937, coinciding with the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and was completed by 1940

Recursive Charm: The Village Inside a Village

  • One of the most delightful quirks: behind the model of The Old New Inn sits a miniature model village within the model village—1:81 scale, which itself houses another 1:729 scale model, and even a paint-only version of the model within that, culminating in an astonishing 1:6,561 scale depiction.

Design, Layout & Craftsmanship

  • The model replicates the heart of Bourton as it appeared in the 1930s, from the Old Mill in the north to The Old New Inn in the south, covering High Street, Station Road, Moore Road, Victoria Street, and Sherborne Street.

  • Around 100 buildings are depicted, crafted from limestone ashlar with precise engraved coursing and miniature slate roofs. All sides of each building are faithfully modeled.

  • Two buildings feature fully detailed interiors visible through perspex: St Lawrence’s Church (with pews, screen, and tracery) and the Baptist chapel.

  • A miniature River Windrush flows through the layout with tiny bridges, and even boundary walls and vegetation mirror reality—bonsai and shrubs pruned to scale, alpine blooms, dry-stone walls complete with cock-and-hen or flat coping stones

Ongoing Care & Community Legacy

  • The Morris family maintained stewardship until 1999, after which Julian and Vicki Atherton took over, and then in 2018, ownership passed to Andrew and Julie Lund-Yates WikipediaBBC.

  • A dedicated maintenance team—including a full-time stonemason, gardeners, and restoration specialists—works year-round to preserve the model’s detail and weather-worn stonework

For more information about the our Model Village, you can visit their website here.