What's on in Gloucestershire

Football in the River

Aug 2009 (annual)

Cost: Free

Hours: Fete from 10am; game kicks off at 4pm

Quintessential Cotswold village Bourton-on-the-Water sits astride the Windrush. This three-metre-wide bubbling brook flows down Bourton's main street, and it's here that the annual Football in the River game takes place, and has done for over 70 years.

Local six-a-side football teams dress up in technicoloured football kits or fancy dress. Braving the cool waters, they set up goalposts under the central bridges over the Windrush and play a football game knee deep in the river!

The effort of playing in water is tiring so the game is not the normal 90 minutes in length, but despite its brevity (15 minutes each way), hundreds of people come to line the banks and cheer on their respective teams. Sometimes, if the ball comes their way, onlookers get splashed, but on this normally sunny weekend, no-one really minds.

The Village Green is covered with stalls selling local food and games such as duck races and tombolas for the kids to enjoy. The atmosphere is always vibrant and there's no better day to see Bourton-on-the-Water in all its glory.

Bourton-On-The-Water

• Health & Leisure
• Bodysensual
• Leisurebreaks