The Cotswolds is one of the most picturesque and renowned regions in the UK, drawing in visitors from around the world. But for those who live in one of the chocolate-box villages, they are bizarrely asked the same thing over and over again by tourists, as I found out.

Sitting astride the River Windrush in the heart of the Cotswolds is the charming village of Bourton-on-the-Water, which felt as though I had wandered into a storybook with its crystal-clear waterway and honey-hued cottages. Commonly referred to as the 'Venice of the Cotswolds', it's also characterised by pristine lawns, quaint stone bridges spanning the river, independent boutiques, traditional English pubs, and tearooms.

Thanks to its picture-postcard setting, it welcomes around 300,000 tourists annually and has often been labelled as one of the 'prettiest Cotswolds villages'.

Keen to find out what all the fuss was about, I visited one sunny afternoon and soon discovered that even those who live in Bourton-on-the-Water feel fortunate to call it home.

"We are very lucky to live here, because it is simply beautiful. It's no wonder that people come to visit, and if I didn't live here, it would be one of the places I would want to come and visit," one resident told me with a smile.

Allan Hymers, who cheerfully explained, "I'm the famous ice cream man", shared, "I love living here, it's great. Everyone knows me, I know everyone in the village, I love it, and it's the best job I've ever had in my life."

Yet, with tourists outnumbering residents on busy days, due to its small population of around 4,000, it also inspires some unusual questions. One local resident revealed: "A lot of people don't realise that the village itself is free, and a lot of people ask me how much it costs."

The local, who works in the car park, added: "They ask, how much it is to enter the village. They don't realise that it's not somewhere you need to pay for."

But that's not the only peculiar question from tourists. "I get asked, quite regularly, 'What time do you close?', as in the village.

"I say, 'Well, the village itself doesn't, but the shops do'. There's no opening or closing of the village, no."

Despite the frequent queries, the resident can understand the confusion among holidaymakers. "If you've travelled internationally and have seen Bourton-on-the-Water on social media, you wouldn't necessarily know that it is free."

In reference to the village looking like an idyllic film or TV set, she added, "It does look like someone's going to shut the gates and close."

Luckily, those eager to visit can travel to and from the pretty Cotswolds village at any time, even if it does compare to a fairy-tale scene. I found myself wandering along the pretty streets lined with Georgian shopfronts, stopping by Allan's traditional ice cream cart, sitting on the lawn watching the angelic river, and admiring those sought-after honey-coloured buildings in this delightful place.

And without the tourists, locals admit that it wouldn't be what it is today. "We wouldn't have all this without visitors, we have five pubs, cafes, restaurants and really nice places. There are some amazing places in the Cotswolds, but there's nothing to do, but we have this, so it's there to be had," the local ice cream legend, Allan, told me.

A punter at the Kingsbridge pub couldn't agree more. They said: "There are a lot of independent shops in Bourton-on-the-Water, but without most of the tourists, would they survive? If we didn't have visitors, there might just be two pubs, one newsagent's and a chip shop, that's it."

Plus, there's so much more to Bourton-on-the-Water than first meets the eye, as residents revealed to me the hidden gems that tourists often miss.

"A lot of people just tend to stick to one side of the river, and they don't understand that there are shops behind the river as well. There are a lot of really good places, little bespoke shops like The Cotswolds Perfumery, the Cotswold Candlemakers, where they make all their own candles, and the crystal shop, The Lodestone. That's all on the other side of the bridges," one local told me.

"They don't realise those shops are there, which I think is a shame because they're really good. But unfortunately, people just tend to stick to one side, sit on the green, and that's it. There's also The Cotswold Pottery shop that people don't know about."

For those looking to extend their trip to the Cotswolds, Rebecca Olivia, who works at Bourton's Little Sweet Shop, recommended another off-the-beaten-track spot few come across "Lower Slaughter is a little village, a 10-minute walk from here. It's quite hidden away, but it's beautiful", she said.

Meanwhile, Rebecca also noted that the hilltop market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, just a short drive from Bourton-on-the-Water, is the place to eat and shop. "It's very different, there's no river, and it used to be a market town for sheep, but if you want to go shopping or eat out, Stow is the place to go."

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com