Bradford-on-Avon is a town that sits on the River Avon in Wiltshire. It has a population of just over 10,000 people and is a stone’s throw from Bath.
It has been included in a list of the nine most beautiful towns in England by travel site Snaptrip, alongside Salcombe in Devon, Rye in East Sussex and Ambleside in Cumbria.
The website described it as “a destination that exudes romance” with narrow streets, Georgian mansions and Bath Stone buildings.
An ancient bridge in the town’s centre remains its natural focus and it retains two of its original 13th-century arches. The view from the main bridge incorporates the hill dotted with old weavers’ cottages and the riverbank flanked by former 19th-century cloth mills.
In the town itself is the Shambles, a street of independent shops on the site of the medieval market lined with buildings that date back to the 15th century.
There are a number of spots offering afternoon tea, including the Bridge Tearooms which is the two-time winner of the UK Tea Guild’s ‘Top Tea Place’ and “one of the UK’s finest spots for afternoon tea” according to the town’s tourist board.
In the area surrounding the town is Bath, known for its Roman baths and abbey, and Bristol, a port city with a rich maritime history and a buzzing arts scene.
Also popular among visitors are nearby Stonehenge, Bratton Camp and the White Horse of Westbury, and Farleigh Hungerford Castle.
Those hoping to visit the town can get there via train connecting at Bath or Westbury, bus from Bristol and Bath or by car via the M4
Bradford-on-Avon shares its name with a city in West Yorkshire that isn’t always esteemed as highly.
Bradford was included in a list of the UK’s worst places to live following a 2023 survey by ILiveHere. It came in 10th place, an improvement on its 2022 position of fourth.
The explanation behind this year’s placing said: “The land of dreams, if you dream of takeaways and pound shops.”