'Most beautiful village in England' has just one pub, two cafes and a trout farm

09 March 2024 , 06:00

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The village was described as a the "most beautiful in England" by William Blake (Image: (Image: Getty))

A village with fewer than 700 residents is one of the prettiest in the world.

The tiny village of Bibury by the River Coln in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire is a big hit with tourists who flock to the bucolic destination to revel in its English charm. Even though it's small, Bibury has been named one of the most beautiful small towns on Earth by Love Exploring.

When famed fabric designer William Morris visited he declared it "the most beautiful village in England". Lots of people come to see its lovely old stone houses with pointy roofs, where cloth makers who worked at Arlington Mill close by once lived;.

One of the most snapped places in the Cotswolds is Arlington Row, a line of old cottages from the 1300s. It's also a special place for old buildings that is under the care of the National Trust. You can even see pictures of it inside some UK passports and in the movie Stardust, which features like Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Bibury was named one of the world's most beautiful villages ((Image: Getty))

Bibury is quiet place without a huge amount to do. Arguably the star feature is a trout farm, where you can buy a bag of pellets and watch as the brown aquatic animals writhe around in search of their dinner. The village also has a church, an old shop, a pub, a restaurant, and two cafes. Next to the village is the River Coln, which has a path next to it leading to Rack Isle. This was once a popular site for dying wool collected from the nearby hill sheep farms.

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Bibury is a favourite spot for Japanese tourists, thanks to Emperor Hirohito's visit during his 1921 European tour. It is not an uncommon sight to witness coachloads of visitors arriving from the Asian country.

Even though it's a small village, it can get quite crowded in the summer. There are a few car parks around and other lovely Cotswold villages, Blenheim Palace, Cotswold Water Park and Westonbirt Arboretum are not too far away. People on Tripadvisor have praised it as "one of the Cotswolds' best", "a quintessential chocolate box town" and said that the river and surrounding area are "nature at its best".

One person shared: "In a world where traffic congestion, pollution, crime and overcrowding make the quality of life so poor, this is a reminder that the planet still has little pockets of beauty tucked away. If your God has a holiday home, it's probably here."

There are plenty of places to stay in Bibury and nearby, from hotels to holiday homes. You can reach Bibury by car via the B4425 and the M4 or M5, or by train to Swindon, Kemble and Cheltenham Spa.

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Grace Piercy