Bibury is a very popular Cotswold village, with a famous row of beautiful stone cottages that attract lots of tourists throught the year – if you are looking for quaint, pretty and the perfect English village scene – you’ve found it.
Busy as it may be, the village is charming, yet tiny- read on to find out what we do with the kids when we spend the day in Bibury.
Our suggestions are a mix of Bibury standard tourist attractions and things specifically for the kids – we always adapt our plans for the children, but ultimately, we have come to see the sights and the children come and see them with us!
Visiting Bibury with kids
Where is Bibury?
Bibury is a small village in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, north east of Cirencester. It is nestled in the Cotswolds countryside and is very rural, so it’s easiest to travel here by car, although if travelling by train you could get to Cirencester Station and then make your way by public transport to the village, although this may be tricky with infrequent public transport or taxi.
We have seen coaches dropping off tourists here – it’s firmly on the tourist trail so that’s another option to get here as well.
Overview : Bibury is a lovely place to visit, it would be a real shame to miss it out on a visit to the Cotswolds area. It is very small ( which is part of the attraction) but this means there isn’t that much in the way of entertainment for children. Unless you are combining it with a walk or have little fishing enthusiasts who would love the day at the Trout Farm, we find it best to combine Bibury with a visit to one of the other great Cotswold locations nearby.
We recommend getting to Bibury as early as possible – preferably before 9am so you can enjoy the quiet beauty with less tourists milling about.
Best things to do with kids in Bibury
Arlington Row
What is Arlington Row?
As previously mentioned, Bibury is small and the main thing people come to see is this – a row of historic cottages, set beside the River Coln and the hillside- it really is very pretty!
While we were getting our Instagram photos like everybody else, the kids entertained them selves looking at the ducks and birds, and playing with sticks and stones in the River! It’s amazing how nature can keep them perfectly entertained, even when we thought there was nothing for them to do!
Arlington Row is actually a really nice place to look around and to take a short stroll – you have to get up early though to enjoy it on your own, though.
Tip: You have to pay to use the public toilets here – although they do accept card. The toilets are awful, massive metal boxes with automatic locks and no windows (a claustrophobic nightmare for me!)
Parking: There is parking opposite Arlington Row on a street called “The Street”! Again, we were here nice and early like we always are, and we found a spot, but there aren’t many, so I imagine it can be awkward when it’s busier later in the day.
Bibury Trout Farm
Granted, the name isn’t that appealing but after you’ve seen Arlington Row, your best bet with young children is to head to this trout farm – although its a fishing spot, its a nice place for a walk about, around the lakes, visit the cafe and the kids can enjoy the play area. There are bbq’s for people to barbecue there fresh catches here, and for the kids you can feed the trout and watch them jump out of the water which is fun. It’s the only place with a play park in Bibury as well. We aren’t in to fishing so after the feeding the fish we will get a drink in the cafe here and watch the birdlife, walk around the fishing lakes and garden, or walk to the Swan Hotel on the opposite side of the River.
The Swan Hotel
There aren’t many places to get lunch in Bibury, but we do like stopping at the Swan Hotel when we are here and sitting outside for drink with a view.
Not technically a pub, The Swan Hotel has a bar and is a nice place for a drink or to grab something to eat. There is also the Twig Cafe and the Catherine Wheel pub further up the hill.
Walk the Bibury Court Circular
Bibury is such a gorgeous place to visit, but most people come and have a look at Arlington Row and the Swan Hotel, take some nice pictures and leave.
Bibury is in a very rural location, which is all part of the quaint charm, and having a walk in the hills and fields surrounding Bibury is one of our favourite things to do when we are here – we always combine a wander through the village with a walk in the area.
The Bibury Court Estate Circular is a 4 mile walk over easy terrain, with the trail taking you along meadows, woodland and some small to moderate hills. Our kids have managed this walk well since they were 5 – we let them take there time and always have sweets on hand to bribe them along the way, though!
The stone bridge over the River near the ( now privately owned) Bibury Court Estate looks like something from a film – the peacefulness, birds and streams make this a firm favorite for a family walk.
Another lovely walk starting in Bibury is the Coln St Alwyns to Bibury Trail, which has the added bonus of combining your countryside walk with a visit to another pretty village – Coln St Alwyns is a tiny village, off the beaten track but lovely to walk around for that old world charm. Ending in Bibury is nice as you canvisit thw Trout Farm and have a few options to sit for food and drinks after your walk.
Places Near By:
10 miles from Bibury
12 miles from Bibury
Cotswold Little Explorers 
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