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We love London, obviously. But every so often, even we need to give our nervous systems a break from its infinite hustle and bustle. The British countryside is the perfect setting for a bit of R&R. But if you’re not careful, you could find yourself somewhere with just as many queues and cameras as the city. And you certainly don’t want to leave London only to be faced with more swarms of tourists.
So, we had a look at the Telegraph’s new roundup of Britain’s greatest villages ‘untouched by mass tourism’ to find which ones you can get to most easily from central London.
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Remember: these are teeny ‘unspoiled’ villages. So don’t expect anywhere that’s a simple 20 minute, uber-convenient ride out of the city. Otherwise everyone would know about them! You do have to commit ample time and effort to get to some of these places, but they’re still close enough for a wholesome day out or long weekend. These are the best villages around London, according to the Telegraph.
Wootton, Oxfordshire
The Telegraph calls Wootton a ‘a proper old-school village complete with a palpable sense of enthusiasm for the area from local residents’. You’ve got Blenheim Palace a stone’s throw away (a seven minute drive to be exact), serene walks along the rivers Glyme and Dorn and Killingworth Castle, if you’re after a bougie place to eat or stay. For links to London there’s Oxford to the southeast and Woodstock three miles south.
Alfriston, East Sussex
Alfriston is home to the first property ever saved by the National Trust. If you take a trip here (just over an hour from London on Southern Rail), you’ll get to explore the 14th century Alfriston Clergy House, soak up the greenery of Friston Forest, the Cuckmere Valley, Beachy Head, Drusillas Park and take a vineyard tour of Rathfinny. The Telegraph recommends a visit to the Swinging Kettle, which it says has ‘arguably the best scones in East Sussex’. Bold claim.
Ditchling, East Sussex
The ‘unofficial cradle of the South Downs National Park’ is next up. The little village of Ditchling has long hosted an artsy community of stone carvers, carpenters, printers and weavers and in springtime they open the doors of their studios and galleries for the Artist Open Houses trail. You can see it for yourself via an easy 40 minute train journey from Clapham Junction.
Bosham, West Sussex
We’re heading to West Sussex now, to the peaceful seaside settlement of Bosham (pronounced ‘Bozzum’). The paper said that the loveliness of this place ‘cannot be overstated’. It added that its charm becomes particularly apparent at dusk: ‘Bosham village green is perfectly orientated for sunset, when locals and regulars gather to picnic, pop corks, play badminton, drag sailing dinghies up the ramp from the water’. The quickest train journey here from London takes around an hour and a half.
Dedham, Essex
You can get to Dedham from London Liverpool Street in just below an hour. It’s found within Dedham Vale, Essex’s one and only designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and where Constable painted so many of his dreamy landscapes. The Telegraph recommends stopping by the Dedham Boatyard for seafood, the Sun Inn for a pint and somewhere to stay and the Munnings Art Museum for a dose of culture.
Chilham, Kent
Chilham in Kent has starred in at least 15 TV and movie productions, including Miss Marple and the BBC adaptation of Emma, but has somehow managed to avoid becoming ‘spoiled’ by set-jetters. Visitors can still come here to escape the crowds and ponder its ‘medieval square lined by pleasingly wonky timber-frame buildings, two good pubs, a cute tea room, a post office and a historic church that was the last known resting place of the shrine of St Augustine after the Reformation’. Just hop on a train from St Pancras International. The shortest journeys take around an hour.
Hambleden, Buckinghamshire
The Telegraph calls Hambleden the best village in the Hambleden Valley (home also to Turville, Skirmett, Fingest and Frieth). Despite also having some starring TV roles (‘Midsomer Murders’ and ‘Sleepy Hollow’) the paper said that this village is still ‘impossibly peaceful’. Once you make the hour and a half journey here, via a train from Paddington and a bus from Reading, the Telegraph recommends checking out Chiltern Valley Winery, sampling fromage at Marlow Cheese Company and hiring a boat from Hobbs of Henley.
Sonning, Berkshire
‘Sweet as a button, as English as Eton mess’, Sonning is the final home counties village to make the list. Sat on the Thames, in his 1889 novel ‘Three Men in a Boat’, Jemone K. Jerome called it ‘the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river’. It’s got a quaint cluster of posh pubs, restaurants and houses, plus the opportunity to rent canoes on the Thames. You can get here from the city in under hour. Simply catch a Great Western Railway train from Paddington then take a quick six minute bus from Twyford.
You can find the Telegraph’s full list in the original article here.
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