The ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ that has introduced a new charge for visitors
- UK Hidden Gems
- Dec 28, 2025
- 2 min read
A pretty town in the Cotswolds has introduced new rules to deal with too many visitors.
In this town, parking charges have been extended until 8pm to help local people find spaces and to raise extra money from tourists.
The village sits beside the River Windrush and is famous for its stone bridges and honey coloured houses.
Located in the heart of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the village is also home to a well known model village, the Cotswold Motoring Museum and Birdland, where visitors can see parrots, owls and king penguins.
Its good looks attract around 300,000 visitors every year.
This is far more than the local population of around 4,000 people, many of whom say they struggle to park and see large amounts of rubbish build up during busy times.
Earlier this year, viral videos caused another rush of so called TikTok tourists to visit the quiet Gloucestershire village.
Locals said many of these visitors showed little interest in the village’s history and culture, and complained about rude behaviour and heavy traffic.
In response, the council announced that parking at Rissington Road car park, which is mostly used by visitors, will now be free before 10am to help residents find spaces.
After that, charges will apply until 8pm instead of stopping at 6pm.
The council hopes these changes will make parking fairer for local people and stop cars being left on grass verges, while still supporting the village.
Money raised from parking fees has already helped pay for a new village warden and larger bins to cope with the extra waste.
An extra 50p parking charge was first added at Rissington Road in 2021, with some of the money being put back into local projects by the council.
Paul Hodgkinson, a cabinet member responsible for health, culture and visitor experience, said he understands the problems the village faces during busy tourist seasons.
He added: "This new plan is meant to give something back to residents and increase the money being reinvested into the village."
Remember - LeaveNoTrace!
As with anywhere outdoors, kindly keep these areas pristine and wild by taking all trash with you. The amount of complaints we have seen since the pandemic is crazy. It's really not that hard to take your rubbish with you!
Litter tends to spread, so if you see any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the hidden gem, it will help keep the area tidy.
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