[1] From the war memorial cross the bridge over the river and follow the road to where it widens and forks by Harrington House, the HF Holidays centre, on the left. Turn right down a path by the right fork, signposted 'The Windrush Way', that goes between cottages. Passing through a kissing gate you walk beside the River Windrush to your right. It may be shallow but it's wet, weedy and fast-flowing ! When you reach Bourton Mill (A) , cross the unfenced footbridge to your right and follow the path up to the main road. Cross with care, turn right and in a few yards left down a path between the cottages. At the back of the cottages you approach the embankment of the old Bourton railway line. Do not cross it, instead turn right alongside the rear of the cottage gardens. Continue straight on, passing the very new 'Cotswold School' on your left and the very old St Lawrence's Church (B) on your right. keep ahead on the footpath rather than any access lanes which may be to your left. Carefully cross the main road keeping straight ahead along the footpath to a T-junction just after a left turn to a car park. Turn left (the right hand path is signposted 'Village') and reach a main road. Cross with care, turn left and shortly right onto a footpath between a field on the right and a bus depot on the left. Turn left when you reach a cemetery and then, just before the main road, turn right into 'Greystokes Lane'
[2] Go along Greystokes Lane, it curves left as you approach Greystokes Farm Nature Reserve (C). Go through the main gate and turn right with the long barn on your right and follow the path through three gates to a track that leads down to a footpath crossroads. Take the gate in front of you, then a gate to the left which leads to a boardwalk that emerges beside a lake, Follow the lakeside path to your right with the lake on your left. The lakes are deep and often unfenced. You reach a boathouse (D) on your left and the path curves to meet an unsurfaced lane. Follow the lane as it curves right to pass through a gate on to join another lane. Turn left along this lane to a new housing estate. Go ahead along a grassy lane with the houses on your right. The lane passes between lakes and ponds on a straight course but where it begins to bear right, take a footbridge and gate on your left. Follow an obvious path through the field to emerge on the main road close to Russington Bridge. Turn right and almost immediately cross the road, with care, into a lane between two houses indicated by a footpath waymarker post.
[3] The lane soon bears right but go through the gate in front of you into the field with the lane on your right. At the end of the field rejoin the lane through another gate. Follow the lane straight ahead until it veers left into the fishery site and lake. Carry straight on over a wide wooden decked bridge and immediately turn left through a gate to follow the river on your left with the lake further left again. Once again, this is a fast-flowing unfenced river. Follow the riverside path through gates and over a footbridge onto the left bank and carry on until you reach the end of the lake. At a fork in the path bear right, as the other path swings sharp left. Cross two footbridges back over the river and, after the second one, turn right onto a rough path. Follow this path and continue straight on when it joins a lane coming in from the left. The lane soon borders an open grassed area to your right with Lower Marsh Farm to your left. At a cross lanes, turn right across the open area which narrows to become a tarmac lane.
[4] This is Marshmouth Lane, which leads back to Bourton. On the way, you will pass Marshmouth Farm on your left and a curious signpost (E) on your right. It points to "Little Rissington as the crow flies". There is no footpath and we're not crows, not a lot of help unfortunately. Carry on down this long, gently-curving lane until it turns noticeably left. A little further on, just where the lane turns sharp right, with Tagmoor Hollow to the left, take the gate in front of you. Follow the path straight ahead, which swings right and then left, with fields to your left and a stout wire-mesh fence to your right all the time. (F) This is the boundary fence of 'Birdland' so do not be surprised if you glimpse exotic creatures on the other side. At the end of the path go right to reach a grassy island surrounded by cottages. Turn left into Clapton Row which curves round to the right, passing a chapel on your left. At the T-junction turn right and immediately left into Bow Lane, which swings right in front of Harrington House. Continue ahead back to the war memorial on the main street.