With stories of rats and overflowing bins recently dominating the news, it’s easy to forget that the UK is blessed with beautiful villages dotted up and down the country.
But where can you find these gorgeous places? We’ve spoken to estate agents, property experts and buying agencies to bring you a selection of the UK’s prettiest villages.
GREAT BUDWORTH, CHESHIRE
Badged Cheshire’s most beautiful village and with a history that dates back to the Domesday Book, Great Budworth has a movie set-feel with cobbled walkways, timber-framed cottages and tree-lined avenues.
Little wonder the village has been a popular location for filming period dramas. Locals are clearly proud of their village, which is awash with well-kept gardens, neat hedges and roses creeping up stone walls. Upping the charm quota is an ice cream farm dishing up freshly made products in 18 flavours.
GOUDHURST, KENT
Located amidst the undulating hills of the Weald, this Kent village is framed by patchwork fields and bluebell-speckled woodland. Clusters of medieval cottages and timber-framed houses line Goudhurst’s steep high street, while at its heart stands the 12th-century St Mary’s Church.
‘With its lovely duck pond, winding lanes, and traditional red-brick and clapboard buildings there’s something about Goudhurst that looks almost untouched by time – it’s a picture-perfect snapshot of rural Kent’, says Claire Carter, Country House Manager at John D Wood & Co.
BRAEMAR, ABERDEENSHIRE
This picturesque village, west of Aberdeen, sits in the dip of the Grampian Mountains, alongside the River Dee. Braemar’s charm lies in its stone cottages capped by slate roofs and with gardens blooming with a riot of wildflowers.
Braemar is also home to the Braemar Gathering and Highland Games, bringing in its wake a pageantry that ups the aesthetics of the village.
THE MARDENS, WEST SUSSEX
It’s three for the price of one with this cluster of easy-on-the-eye secluded hamlets nestled in the chalk hills of the South Downs (there’s an East, West and North Marsden).
‘There’s a stunning 12th-century church surrounded by farms and flint cottages and a tranquil landscape of ancient fields and wooded hill,’ says Jennie Hancock, founder and director of West Sussex buying agency Property Acquisitions.
‘It’s like stepping back in time to a bygone age, and not many people even know they’re there. A real hidden gem.’
GRASMERE, CUMBRIA
This Lake District village is forever famous thanks to poet William Wordsworth, who lived at Dove Cottage from 1799 to 1808 and is buried in the village graveyard at St Oswald’s Church.
Amongst its stone cottages and winding lanes you’ll find the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, where bakers follow Victorian chef Sarah Nelson’s original 1854 recipe. There’s also a tranquil lake where you can reflect on a host of daffodils and the sheer beauty of the place.
EGLETON, RUTLAND
Standing at the west end of Rutland Water, Egleton’s well-preserved cottages and peaceful lanes contribute to its reputation as one of the prettiest villages in the East Midlands. At one end of the village is a nature reserve – which could be why Egleton hosts an annual Bird Watching Festival.
‘Egleton is a wonderful – and often overlooked – example of what is so special about Rutland’, says Edward Brassey of estate agents Strutt & Parker. ‘It’s a tiny village of pretty honey-coloured stone houses and winding country lanes, set on the edge of Rutland Water and framed by rolling countryside. Many of its houses are unsurprisingly listed, the church is full of Norman history, and the whole place feels unspoilt.’
ST FLORENCE, PEMBROKESHIRE
The River Ritec ambles through this Pembrokeshire village, creating a ‘water splash’ ford at one of its country lanes.
‘St Florence is so lovely’, says Carol Peett, of West Wales Property Finders. ‘It has very pretty cottages, one of which has one of the few original Flemish chimneys. The beautiful 12th-century church stands in the centre of the village and again it has great community spirit with the pubs and houses decorated with beautiful hanging baskets.’
DOWNHAM, LANCASHIRE
Surrounding by hills dotted with sheep and close to brooding Pendle Hill – of the Pendle Witches’ fame – this Lancashire village on the edge of the Forest of Bowland has an almost time-warped simplicity (there are no TV aerials or even road signs).
It’s a starkly scenic place, where the Grade II-listed pub the Assheton Arms and St Leonard’s Church stand at the summit of a steep lane forming the single main road through the village.
MELLS, SOMERSET
The River Mells bubbles through the centre of this Somerset village, where flowers burst over the walls of stone cottages and a 16th-century manor house adds to the charm.
‘Mells is often hailed as one of the prettiest villages in the UK’, says Andrew Cronan of buying agency Recoco Property Search. ‘With the Mells River on its doorstep, the village is an ideal spot for a quaint Somerset lifestyle’, says Andrew.
As well as Mells Manor, a more modern addition to its charm is Mells Cafe, which was opened by Great British Bake-off legend Mary Berry in 2011.
CASTLE COMBE, WILTSHIRE
With golden, stone-roofed cottages, cosy country lanes and a babbling brook, it’s no surprise that this Wiltshire village with its sweeping views across Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Dorset, and Somerset has been a filming location for Downton Abbey, War Horse and more.
‘Castle Combe is the epitome of timeless Cotswold charm’, says Jonathan Hopper, CEO of Garrington Property Finders.
Most of the houses date back centuries and are built from honey-coloured Cotswold stone, which looks lovely all year round. The ancient bridge over the by Brook Valley in particular is ‘pinch yourself’ beautiful.
CULROSS, FIFE
Part of the charm of this pretty Fife village lies in its well-preserved 17th- and 18th-century architecture – think white-harled houses with red-tiled roofs, steep cobbled streets, and historic landmarks like Culross Palace and the Town House. Authentic as well as picturesque, Culross doubled as the fictional Cranesmuir in the Outlander TV series.
BIBURY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Idling on the River Coln, this Cotswolds village was described by 19th-century designer William Morris as one of the most appealing in the country. These days it is, admittedly, a magnet for so-called ‘TikTok’ tourists – not least because of Arlington Row, a line of medieval buildings which were converted into weavers’ cottages in the 17th century.
Bibury is also home to many historic buildings, including the 11th-century St Mary’s Church which add to its pretty appeal.
CASTLETON, DERBYSHIRE
Castleton sits in the heart of the Peak District National Park and has all the markings of a gorgeous traditional Derbyshire village. Its stone-built houses and cottages are set against the surrounding rugged landscape, while Peakshole Water stream flows through its centre. Castleton is also the only place in the world where the semi-precious Blue John stone can be found.
FINCHINGFIELD, ESSEX
Wedged between Braintree and Saffron Walden, Walt Disney visited this picture postcard village to meet the author Dodie Smith and broker a deal for her novel, The Hundred and One Dalmatians.
‘With its central green, duck pond, windmill, medieval church, hump-backed bridge and pastel-coloured cottages, Finchingfield is a quintessentially pretty English village,’ says Bruce King, Director at Cheffins estate agents in Saffron Walden. ‘Little wonder French Impressionist, Lucien Pissaro created a series of landscapes of the village.’
MILFORD, DERBYSHIRE
The River Derwent meanders through this north Derbyshire village where green-fingered residents have created spectacular floral displays among old stone cottages.
Floral focal points include the Milford Community Greenspace, where three overgrown allotments have been transformed into a lovely playing and learning area for the children, explains Andy Armstrong, Area Director of Ashley Adams Estate Agents.
‘There’s also Blooming Milford’s community gardens and orchards along the riverside in Hopping Mill Meadow and the private front gardens along Millers Way.’
STAITHES, NORTH YORKSHIRE
Close to the highest cliff on England’s east coast, this North Yorkshire village sits in a steep-sided gorge where the Staithes Beck meets the North Sea. Known as ‘Dinosaur Coast’ due to the abundance of ammonites, this part of the world is also a major draw for fossil enthusiasts.
Adding to Staithes’ eye-candy appeal are its winding cobbled streets and cottages with whitewashed walls, weathered stone, and terracotta roofs. There are also numerous galleries, thanks to its long-standing pull for British artists.
PORTMEIRION, GWYNEDD
Designed in the 1920s by Welsh architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, this Italianate-style village is clustered with tiny terracotta-roofed houses washed in bright colours and feathered around a central piazza.
Portmeirion’s gardens – known as the Gwyllt – offers 70 acres of surrounding woodland, featuring some of Britain’s largest trees, secret gardens, a derelict castle, riotous flowers and coastal coves.
PLOCKTON, HIGHLANDS
Known as the ‘Jewel of the Highlands’, Plockton sits on a sheltered bay in Wester Ross, overlooking Loch Carron. Palm trees grow in the sea-facing gardens, while boats bob in the super clear waters of the bay – all of which is framed by a landscape of pine and heather. Little wonder the village is a draw for photographers and artists keen to capture its natural beauty.
LAVENHAM
Thanks to its timbered cottages, crooked houses, 15th-century churches, tea rooms and woodlands, Lavenham is one of the prettiest historical villages in England.
The market square is lined with Tudor architecture, listed buildings and independent local shops. The village is also famous for providing the location for Godric’s Hollow in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One.
SOLVA, PEMBROKESHIRE
The houses in this super pretty fishing village are painted in bright, sugary colours, and there’s a picturesque harbour and sandy beach at the end of an inlet at St Brides Bay. Boutique gift shops, galleries and a general store add to its charm.
HAWORTH, WEST YORKSHIRE
Best known as home of the Brontës, Haworth sits against wild and remote moorland which provided the sisters with so much inspiration.
‘With its cobbled streets, historic stone buildings, 16th-century pubs and even an apothecary-style shop, the village feels like a step back in time,’ says Ben Waites, director at Charnock Bates, a specialist in selling fine country and period homes.
ROBIN HOOD’S BAY, NORTH YORKSHIRE
This picturesque old fishing village on the Heritage Coast of the North York Moors was once a smugglers’ haven, thanks to its maze of cobbled streets and small harbour.
Little cottages, towering cliffs and cobbled lanes add to its rugged beauty, as do historic buildings such as St Stephen’s Church and the Old Coastguard Station, which now houses a museum dedicated to the area’s maritime past.
ABERDYFI, GWYNEDD
With its pastel-coloured terraces and a quaint little harbour, Aberdyfi is one of southern Snowdonia’s most attractive coastal villages. Not least because of its location: Aberdyfi stands where mountains meet the sea at the mouth of the River Dyfi.
‘The main street runs beside Aberdyfi’s spectacular beach and it has a pretty square with a range of independent shops, galleries and restaurants with winding lanes rising high up the hill behind the village giving magnificent views over Cardigan Bay’, says James Johnston, chairman of Premier Cottages, a collection of four- and five-star cottages in the UK and Ireland.
FOTHERINGHAY, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Lying on the banks of the River Nene in Northamptonshire, Fotheringhay is one of those villages that looks like it’s been plucked from the pages of a period novel, according to Edward Brassey of estate agents Strutt & Parker.
‘Its main street is filled with handsome stone houses – many of them listed – including thatched farmhouses and centuries-old converted inns. There’s also a beautiful church, and a castle mound with a history that would rival most of Britain’s stately homes. That’s about it – but that is the village’s charm.’
OGMORE-BY-SEA, VALE OF GLAMORGAN
This gorgeous village in the Vale of Glamorgan is situated half on a slight clifftop, and half on the mouth of the River Ogmore with views out into the Bristol Channel, and across the Merthyr Mawr nature reserve.
‘One of the best things about Ogmore-by-Sea is the change in beauty you have in such a small place. On the east side of the village, you have the Southern down cliffs, and to the west you have massive beaches and sand dunes. Even to the north you have remains of a Norman Castle, and Medieval walls situated on a beautiful little walking trail.’ says Dave Sayce, co-founder of Compare My Move.
