Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do · Bourton-on-the-Water
The Dragonfly Maze
A yew hedge maze on Rissington Road in Bourton-on-the-Water, with 14 clues to a rebus and a golden dragonfly at the centre designed by Kit Williams.
Family-friendly · Dog-friendly
A cheap, clever half hour for children old enough to read the clues. Slots are sold at the kiosk on the day only, so on a bank holiday come in the morning. Not for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
- Good: Family ticket £15 for two adults and two children (2026)
- Good: Dogs welcome on a lead
- Worth knowing: No booking: timed slots sold at the kiosk on the day, and busy days sell out by mid-afternoon
- Worth knowing: Narrow gravel paths: no pushchairs, wheelchairs or mobility scooters
- Worth knowing: No toilets or café on site
- Worth knowing: Closes in snow, ice or heavy rain
About
The Dragonfly Maze is a traditional yew hedge maze on Rissington Road, a short walk from the centre of Bourton-on-the-Water. About half a mile of gravel paths wind between the hedges, and 14 clues are hidden along the way. Find them all and they solve a rebus, which tells you how to find the golden dragonfly in the round house at the centre.
The centrepiece was designed and made by Kit Williams, the artist whose picture book Masquerade (1979) led readers to a golden hare he had buried somewhere in Britain. The founders had tried and failed to solve Masquerade themselves, and asked him to help with the maze.
Allow 20 to 50 minutes, depending on how keen your party is on the puzzle. It suits children who can read and adults who like a riddle; small children enjoy the hedges and give up on the clues. Children must be with an adult, and dogs are welcome on a lead.
You cannot book. A set number of time slots is sold each day from the kiosk window, on the day only, which keeps the maze from getting crowded inside. On bank holidays and busy summer days the slots can sell out by mid-afternoon, so buy yours in the morning and come back. Tickets are about £4 a head (2026), with a family ticket at £15, and the kiosk takes cash, cards and contactless.
The paths are narrow and gravelled with tight turns, so the maze says it is not suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs or mobility scooters. There are no toilets or café: the nearest are the council’s public toilets on Rissington Road (50p). Birdland and the Cotswold Motoring Museum are both a few minutes' walk away.
Opening hours and season
| Monday | Closed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | 10:00 to 15:30 |
| Sunday | 10:00 to 15:30 |
From 2 November 2026, Saturdays and Sundays only, 10am to 3.30pm, weather permitting. Season not published; check its Facebook page before a special trip.
Facilities
- DogsWelcome on a lead; bring bags
- KioskTickets and bottled water
- ParkingCouncil car park on Rissington Road, GL54 2BN
The details
- Time to allow
- 20 to 50 minutes
- Features
- Play area
- History
- Centrepiece designed by Kit Williams, author of Masquerade (1979)
- Parking
- No car park of its own. Cotswold District Council's Rissington Road car park (GL54 2BN) is free before 10am, then charged from 10am to 8pm (2026); card or PayByPhone only.
- Without a car
- The Pulhams 801 runs to Bourton from Moreton-in-Marsh station and Cheltenham, roughly hourly, Sundays included (2026 timetable).
Photos
The pavilion at the centre Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons 
Yew walls in spring Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons 
One of the clues Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons 
The entrance in snow
Location
Places to stay nearby
-
Chester House Hotel
Hotel · Bourton-on-the-Water
A family-owned hotel with 22 rooms on Victoria Street, Bourton-on-the-Water, with L'Anatra Italian Kitchen, a walled garden, a car park and rooms for small dogs.
Dog-friendly
Verified Nov 2026
-
The Dial House
Hotel · Bourton-on-the-Water
A hotel with 13 rooms on Bourton-on-the-Water's High Street, five of them designed by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, with a restaurant, a garden and parking for guests.
Verified Nov 2026
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Old Manse Hotel
Inn · Bourton-on-the-Water
A Cotswold-stone inn of 1748 on Victoria Street, Bourton-on-the-Water, with 15 rooms, three of them for dogs, and pub food all day, run by Greene King Inns.
Dog-friendly
Verified Nov 2026
Nearby walks, places and things to do
- Birdland Park and Gardens
- The Old New Inn 0.3 km away
- The Model Village, Bourton-on-the-Water 0.3 km away
- The Croft 0.3 km away
Sights nearby
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Narrow Bridge, Bourton-on-the-Water
Sight · Bridge · Bourton-on-the-Water
Narrow Bridge is the oldest dated of the low stone footbridges over the Windrush in Bourton-on-the-Water, built in 1756 with three rusticated arches and low parapets. Listed Grade II with three of its neighbours, it is crossed free at any time.
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Bourton-on-the-Water war memorial
Sight · Monument · Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water's war memorial is a tall stone cross of 1920 on the green beside the Windrush, raised by the village for its 27 men who died in the First World War, with 12 names added after the Second. Listed Grade II; open at all times.
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St Lawrence's Church, Bourton-on-the-Water
Sight · Church · Bourton-on-the-Water
St Lawrence's is Bourton-on-the-Water's parish church on the High Street: a chancel of 1328, a Georgian tower of 1784 under a lead dome and a nave taken back to the Gothic style in 1891. Grade II*, open daily from about 10am to 4pm, step-free and dog friendly.
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Salmonsbury Camp
Sight · Hill fort or barrow · Bourton-on-the-Water
Salmonsbury Camp is an Iron Age fortified enclosure of about 23 hectares just east of Bourton-on-the-Water, its double banks still up to 2m high on three sides, with Roman and Saxon finds and a charter of AD 779. A scheduled monument on Greystones Farm reserve.