A beloved corner of the Cotswolds been named as the prettiest among the UK’s small towns and village, with vistors bowled over by its stunning “honey-coloured” architecture.
Castle Combe in Wiltshire took the crown, having long been a favoured spot for staycation seekers and film-location scouts alike.
Travel website Love Exploring said: “They don’t come prettier than this Cotswolds charmer with its honey-coloured stone cottages, 13th-century church (whose faceless clock is thought to be one of the oldest in the country) and little stone bridges that cross the ambling River Bybrook.
“It’s no wonder Castle Combe has caught the eye of film location scouts – credits include Stardust and Stephen Spielberg’s War Horse.”
“A hundred or so years later the sentiment certainly seems to stand,” the website wrote, adding: “A huddle of stone houses and green hills with a slip of the River Coln running through it, Bibury is simply picture-perfect.”
The coastal town of Looe, in Cornwall, came in third, followed by Portmeirion in Gwynedd in Wales, and traditional Norfolk seaside spot, Cromer.
Salcombe in Devon also made it into the top 10 as did Portree, the capital of Isle of Skye in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides. Another Wiltshire town, Lacock, also joined Castle Combe in the top rankings.
The village has become a point of pilgrammage for Harry Potter fans after a cottage in village was used as the exterior of Harry’s childhood home at Godric’s Hollow, in a dramatic scene from the first film, where Voledemort kills his parents.
The picturesque Cumbria village of Grasmere came ninth on the list, with pretty seaside getaway Beer in Devon just sneaking in in 10th.
Such is the surging popularity of Castle Combe, Homeowners could see the price of their properties surge further, with the average home there selling for approximately £505,000 in the last year, according to Rightmove.
Visit Wiltshire encourages visitors to the quiet community to take a “stroll along the village to the bridge” where they can enjoy homemade cakes, sweets or bunches of flowers being sold outside the locals’ homes.
“Stop at the bottom of the village by the bridge and enjoy a great photographic moment too,” they add.
The village has two welcoming pubs, a community hall and The Manor House hotel and restaurant famous known for its exquisite fare.
The understated beauty of St Andrew’s Church, which dates back to the 13th century and the 14th Market Cross area of the village are among the many other major pulls for tourists.