Great Bedwyn or Bourton-on-the-Water: Which Is Better Value?
Great Bedwyn averages £560,000 against £525,000 in Bourton-on-the-Water, a gap of £35,000 or 7%. You would need £3,500 more deposit and about £184 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Bourton-on-the-Water charges £23 less council tax at Band D.
Great Bedwyn averages £560,000 against £525,000 in Bourton-on-the-Water, a gap of £35,000 or 7%. You would need £3,500 more deposit and about £184 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Bourton-on-the-Water charges £23 less council tax at Band D.
Price and deposit
The headline gap is £35,000, or 7%. On a 10% deposit that is £3,500 more cash to find before you start. Detached homes average £600,000 against £1,150,000.
Great Bedwyn against Bourton-on-the-Water
Town guides for each: Mortgage advice in Great Bedwyn and Mortgage advice in Bourton-on-the-Water.
Schools and families
Great Bedwyn has more schools graded Outstanding at their last graded Ofsted inspection (before September 2024), with 1 against 0 in Bourton-on-the-Water. Counting last graded Ofsted inspections (before September 2024), Great Bedwyn has 2 schools and Bourton-on-the-Water has 2 schools graded Good or better.
A strong catchment in the cheaper town can cost more than an average street in the dearer one. Compare catchments, not averages.
Running costs and getting to work
Band D council tax is £2,431 in Great Bedwyn and £2,408 in Bourton-on-the-Water, a difference of £23 a year.
The honest verdict
Bourton-on-the-Water is cheaper to buy on these figures. Great Bedwyn carries the higher price and, on this data, the stronger school profile.
Neither is right in the abstract. If the deposit is your constraint, the £3,500 difference matters more than anything else here. If catchment is the constraint, price follows the school you need.
What each town is actually like
Price is one axis. These are the things people move for, and the things they find out afterwards.
Great Bedwyn
In its favour- A historic canal-and-rail village with a direct London train
- Its own Paddington-terminus station
- A great flint church & real history
- The canal, Savernake Forest & Crofton Beam Engines near
- Prices above the national average
- A rural village, a way from big-town shopping
- A river/canal flood-risk consideration near the water
- Larger period & canal-side homes mean substantial lending
Best for Commuters (to London) ★★★★★
Its own station on the Paddington main line with fast trains, unusual and valuable for a village this size.
Bourton-on-the-Water
In its favour- A beautiful, famous Cotswold village
- The River Windrush & the low stone bridges
- Its own good primary & secondary (The Cotswold School)
- Family attractions, Model Village, Birdland, Motoring Museum
- A premium market above the national average
- Genuine Windrush flood-risk context (defended, not risk-free)
- One of the busiest tourism villages, crowds & parking pressure
- Limited, tightly-held supply & strong second-home/short-let presence
Best for Families ★★★★★
Good schools on the doorstep, The Cotswold School (all sub-judgements Outstanding at its 2025 inspection) and Bourton-on-the-Water Primary (Ofsted report card, February 2026), plus the river, the greens, the attractions and a safe village setting; a genuinely strong family choice, subject to price and flood checks.
Great Bedwyn and Bourton-on-the-Water, side by side
| Measure | Great Bedwyn | Bourton-on-the-Water |
|---|---|---|
| Average property price | £560,000 | £525,000 |
| Average detached | £600,000 | £1,150,000 |
| 10% deposit | £56,000 | £52,500 |
| Illustrative monthly payment | £2,946 | £2,762 |
| Band D council tax | £2,431 | £2,408 |
| Outstanding rated schools | 1 | 0 |
| Good rated schools | 1 | 2 |
Local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own figures before acting.
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Questions people ask
Is Great Bedwyn or Bourton-on-the-Water cheaper?
Which has better schools?
Which is cheaper to run?
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