The UK is full of tourist traps. And rightly so. We’ve got an abundance of gorgeous cities, towns and villages that deserve all the attention they get. Yes, Castle Combe is very pretty and Mousehole in Cornwall looks great on the ’gram, but sometimes the crowds can get just a bit much. Now and again it’s nice to enjoy a new place without battling for room on the pavement or fighting for a table at the nearest restaurant.
So, if you’re looking for somewhere to get a bit more peace and quiet, look no further. The Daily Telegraph has enlisted the help of experts across the country to find the UK’s most beautiful villages which are unscathed by crowds. These are apparently areas that ‘retain their authentic character’ and their quaint charm, existing largely for residents rather than tourists.
The list is ordered according to area and features Cartmel in the Lake District, home to two Michelin-star restaurants and Hambleden in Buckinghamshire, which has starred in a bunch of Hollywood films including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Sleepy Hollow and The Avengers. There’s also Inverie in the Highlands, where you can enjoy a pint in the British mainland’s most remote pub, or Beddgelert, nestled in the heart of Snowdonia.
Fancy exploring somewhere a little more off the beaten track? These are the 30 best villages in the UK that are untouched by tourists, according to The Daily Telegraph:
North
- Saltaire, West Yorkshire
- Hutton-le-Hole, North Yorkshire
- Dent, Cumbria
- Alnmouth, Northumberland
- Cartmel, Cumbria
South West
- Mells, Somerset
- Cranborne, Dorset
- Lustleigh, Devon
- Shaldon, Devon
- Lizard, Cornwall
- Laxfield, Suffolk
- Great Massingham, Norfolk
- Wing, Rutland
- Ombersley, Worcestershire
- Broadway, Worcestershire
- Wootton, Oxfordshire
South East
- Alfriston, East Sussex
- Ditchling, East Sussex
- Bosham, West Sussex
- Dedham, Essex
- Chilham, Kent
- Hambleden, Buckinghamshire
- Sonning, Berkshire
Wales
- Solva, Pembrokeshire
- Laugharne, Carmarthenshire
- Aberffraw, Anglesey
- Beddgelert, Gwynedd
Scotland
- Tobermory, Isle of Mull
- Inverie, Highland
- St Monans, Fife
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