‘Most beautiful village in England’ is filmmaker’s dream

A quaint community in Wiltshire, home to fewer than 400 residents, has been crowned “the most beautiful village in England” by tourists.

Britain boasts an abundance of stunning villages, and if you’re fortunate enough to call one home, you’re likely enormously proud of it and consider yours the finest of them all. While beauty is entirely subjective, tourists online have united to declare the one village they believe stands above the rest in England — and it’s disappointing news for those who don’t reside in Wiltshire.

A TikTok video shared by British travel blogger Alicia officially bestowed the title of “most beautiful” village in England upon Castle Combe in Wiltshire. Commenters were quick to agree, describing the area as looking “like a fairy tale” and expressing a keen desire to visit for themselves.

Castle Combe is a hugely popular tourist destination, and despite having a population of just 356 according to the 2021 census, its narrow cobbled streets can become remarkably busy during the peak summer months as visitors flock to admire its charm.

The village is nestled within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and holds the remarkable distinction of having had absolutely no new houses built within its historic centre since approximately 1600.

A great number of the cottages scattered throughout the village are constructed from traditional Cotswold stone, and the area has long been referred to as “chocolate box” – a phrase used to describe locations that are strikingly picturesque, charming, or idyllic. The expression originates from the scenic depictions of quintessential English villages that adorned Cadbury chocolate boxes during the mid-20th century.

While Alicia declared Castle Combe the “most beautiful village in England” in her video, she is far from the first to make such a bold claim. A 2002 publication by Sue Hazeldine entitled A-Z of the Cotswolds: Places, People, History similarly hailed Castle Combe as “the prettiest village in England”.

Even Hollywood appears to concur, with a host of blockbuster films and beloved TV programmes having chosen Castle Combe as a filming location.

Most famously, the 1967 musical film Doctor Dolittle was shot in Castle Combe, much to the frustration of local residents who took umbrage at the producers’ alterations to the surrounding area.

Throughout September 2010, the village also served as a backdrop for Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of War Horse, and has since featured in an episode of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, as well as the films Stardust and The Wolfman.

It additionally served as a filming location for several episodes of the Apple TV+ spy thriller Slow Horses, with the second series making use of Castle Combe and its neighbouring airfield, under the fictional guise of ‘Upshott’.

TripAdvisor reviewers similarly endorse the “prettiest village in England” accolade, with an impressive 1,113 of the 1,480 reviews awarding it a flawless five stars, with many characterising it as a village “frozen in time”.

One visitor remarked: “Castle Combe is tiny, but it’s often said to be the prettiest village in England, and it was certainly the prettiest village we visited. It’s so perfect that you feel as if you could have stepped back in time.”

Another commented: “One of my favourite towns trapped in time. It’s so peaceful and pretty there. Will go back there and spend a few days. We were part of a tour and only had two hours to visit.”

While a castle formerly occupied the location – hence the name Castle Combe – it was demolished centuries ago. The village houses the Castle Combe motor racing circuit, alongside a parish church and a total of 107 listed buildings.