Bourton-on-the-Water model village gets listed status

The model village was built between 1936 and 1941 and was mainly constructed by local builders rather than amateurs or model-makers, which English Heritage believes adds to its quality

The village sits within the grounds of the New Inn in Bourton-on-the-Water and was the idea of the former owners who built it as a tourist attraction

Water from the River Windrush flows through the model village along the miniature waterways and a watermill

Owners Vicki and Julian Atherton employ a full-time stonemason and maintenance man to ensure the buildings are kept in good condition

The Church of St Lawrence has a medieval nave and Georgian tower, complete with miniature pews and screen, all of which can be viewed through a small perspex screen

The village has been built at a precise 1:9 scale using locally quarried limestone for walls and miniature Cotswold stone slates for roof coverings

A model village which is thought to be one of the oldest in England has been Grade II listed.

Work on the exact replica of Bourton-on-the-Water, dubbed the "little Venice of the Cotswolds" began in 1936 and took builders five years to complete.

English Heritage said with its excellent craftsmanship, the "charming creation" deserved its recognition.

"It's great. It shows that we're a unique site, there's nothing else like us," said owner Julian Atherton.

"There are other model villages but there are none that are Cotswold stone on the scale of an actual village.

"So it's really nice that English Heritage has bothered to pick us out and make us listed."

'Highly unusual'

The Gloucestershire village is made from authentic materials such as locally-quarried limestone and miniature Cotswold stone slates.

The models are so detailed visitors are able to see pews inside the parish church of St Lawrence through delicately stained-glass windows.

They can even recognise the waterways flowing through the village that use running water from the village itself.

Co-owner Vicki Atherton said the village was "pretty much the same" as when it was completed in 1941.

She said: "There's obviously a lot of repairs and renewals that have to be done, but Bourton has got 117 listed buildings in it so not very much changes in the structure of the buildings.

"The only thing that really changes is the ownership of the shops - there's only one building in the whole of the high street which we would like to build in the next few months really."

Due to the ongoing repairs, the village owners use a full-time stonemason and maintenance man to keep the buildings in good order.

The model's Grade II status from Heritage Minister Ed Vaizey, means its "special interest" must be taken into account if changes to its appearance or location are proposed.

"This may be a highly unusual listing but it is no less worthy of its Grade II-listed status," said Mr Vaizey.

"The craftsmanship involved in creating what is a hugely loved family attraction is second to none."

English Heritage, which advised the on the listing, said the attraction was thought to be the second ever built in the UK, the first being Bekonscot at Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire.

Deborah Williams, from the organisation, said the model's value was "greatly added to" by the number of listed buildings it records and the fact it is set within the grounds of a Grade II listed pub.

Many of the original buildings in Bourton-on-the-Water are listed themselves, with the oldest dating back to the 17th Century.