'Most beautiful' place to visit in the UK named due to its fairytale charm

Castle Combe is picture postcard perfect (Image: Getty Images)
With summer upon us, Brits are eagerly scratching that holiday itch, and you don't even need a passport for a slice of the extraordinary within our isles. Hailed as one of the most picturesque spots on the globe, let alone Britain, Castle Combe in Wiltshire is an essential stop for anyone venturing into the Cotswolds.
This storybook village, with its medieval stone cottages and timeless lanes, remains untouched by the march of time, offering sightseers an authentically charming experience. Encircled by the sublime Cotswold scenery, visitors to Castle Combe are treated to nearby woodlands, undulating hills, and verdant landscapes that accentuate the village's alluring ambience. READ MORE: Teeth whitening solution 'removes stains' quickly in time for summer holidays
Described by Country Living as houses "so pretty they should be on a postcard" due to their "ancient, honey-hued" charm, it's no wonder it's counted among the world's loveliest villages by travel experts.
CN Traveller said: "Castle Combe is a quintessentially English village located in the southwest county of Wiltshire. No new houses have been built here since the 1600s, so the town is a well-preserved stretch of Cotswold stone cottages and old pubs and churches."
This idyllic village is a dream destination for photography enthusiasts, with the old bridge crossing the River Bybrook being the most iconic spot to capture due to its breathtaking location.
History buffs will be drawn to Castle Combe for its plethora of medieval structures, including the stunning St Andrew's church, established in the 13th century, reports the Express.
Early morning in Castle Combe village centre (Image: Getty Images)
The church houses the tomb of Sir Walter de Dunstanville, Baron of Castle Combe, a crusader who passed away in 1270, and also boasts a quaint shop renowned for its charming postcards.
Film aficionados will find it an exciting visit as Castle Combe has been featured in numerous iconic films such as the 1960s Doctor Dolittle, and more recently, the 2007 fantasy blockbuster Stardust and Steven Spielberg's 2011 film War Horse.
Castle Combe is perfect for those seeking a leisurely holiday, offering opportunities for nature walks, historical site visits, and relaxing evenings at the local pub.
For those planning a nature walk, the village's famous Little Picnic Shop provides everything needed for a delightful summer picnic.
However, for a quintessential English countryside experience, a visit to The Old Rectory Pop-up Tearoom is a must, where guests can enjoy afternoon tea complete with homemade cakes, sandwiches, and a cuppa served in traditional china.
The quaint village also boasts The Old Stables, a snug and informal coffee shop ideal for enjoying a bacon sarnie or your favourite hot drink.
As you wander through Castle Combe, you'll find charming homes adorned with little stalls offering a delightful selection of local and homemade treats like jams, cakes, or sweets.
Travel aficionado Jamie, the mastermind behind 'Explore with Ed,' reckons now is the prime time to visit Castle Combe, citing mid-summer as the period when the village's charm truly flourishes.
He commented: "The prettiness of Castle Combe is perhaps at its peak in the height of summer when the honey-coloured cottages are graced with colourful climbing plants and overflowing window baskets."

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Metro

2 hours ago

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Sign up here. First up, Harry Dinn flies the flag for both Madeira and the Azores. The former – an autonomous region of Portugal – sits off the northwest coast of Africa, and is known for its namesake wine and a subtropical climate. The latter, also belonging to Portugal, is an archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic. Its dramatic landscapes of crater lakes, lush greenery, lava caves and hot springs make it the perfect destination for adventure seekers. For James Smith, any of Norway's 239,057 islands are worth a trip. While you're there, you can also see the fjords, long, narrow inlets with steep sides or cliffs that sit along the Norwegian coast (mostly in the west). Two of the fjords, Geirangerfjord and the Nærøyfjord, are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Many visit by boat; the cruise season runs from May to September. 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Scottish Sun

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Mastermind of furious anti-tourist protests in Majorca targeting Brits unmasked as boy, 16, inspired by Greta Thunberg

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Daily Mirror

4 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Brits' holidays from hell from 'wild animals' at breakfast to horror pool injury

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The single dad-of-two said he tried to turn his fall into a dive but he didn't realise how shallow the water was and he split his head open on the bottom of the pool. Luckily one of the revellers at the party was an army medic who helped get Martin out of the pool and kept him still until an ambulance arrived. ‌ Paramedics took Martin, who works as a sales advisor, to a nearby hospital where doctors gave him 16 stitches in his head and found that he had fractured his neck in three places and broken his back. READ MORE: 'Cause of death' of Beth Martin, 28, whose heart was removed after dying on holiday He said that the trip to Benidorm had been intended as a relaxing getaway with his cousins to give Martin a break from being a busy single dad. Martin explained that he had gone to book travel insurance before the holiday, but he had gotten distracted before paying and forgot to purchase it - a mistake he dubbed 'stupid'. ‌ The tourist ended up forking out £1,500 for the hospital stay and extra flights. He urged holidaymakers travelling this summer not to make the same "daft mistake" as him. Martin, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, said: "I was having a drink but I had my wits about me and stuff. Somebody pushed me into the pool and I didn't know it was a shallow pool. "I'm thinking I'll just dive in and dive back up and my head hit the floor straight away and it split open my head. ‌ "It was quite scary. I'll be honest, there was at one point I thought I was going to die on my own [in hospital] because I didn't know what was going on or who to talk to. "It was a moment of madness [not to take out insurance]. I was looking at getting it, I put it in the WhatsApp group for my cousins to get it and as I went to do mine something came up with the kids. "Then it just slipped my mind and then I forgot all about it and didn't get it done. It was a daft mistake. I knew I needed to get it. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail, that's the best thing I could say." ‌ Raw buffet food hell What was supposed to be a dream getaway quickly spiralled into a holiday from hell for 25 Brits after they allegedly suffered gastric illnesses while staying at the Riu Karamboa, in Boa Vista in Cape Verde. The group claim there were disturbing scenes around the hotel's buffet - birds, flies, and even cats wandering freely. The food, they allege, was often "raw and undercooked," served alongside "dirty crockery and cutlery." ‌ One NHS worker who splurged £3,000 to celebrate early retirement said she ended up hospitalised with a severe infection during her holiday. Sharon Burrow, 56, of Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, recalled how the luxury break became 'one of the worst experiences of her life,' and eight months on, she still battles ongoing complications. Another guest, Penny Robson, a 55-year-old paramedic from London, was forced to take antibiotics after battling a brutal bout of gastric symptoms - bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, and stomach cramps. Penny, who paid £2,000 for a weeklong stay with a friend in September 2023, had to cancel two prepaid excursions, including a stargazing trip and a private island tour, after falling ill five days in. ‌ The Riu Karamboa resort told the Mirror: "For RIU Hotels & Resorts, the health and safety of our guests is our highest priority. That is why we adhere to strict Health & Safety protocols and comply with all applicable regulations. "Additionally, we work closely with local health authorities to ensure a safe environment for both our guests and employees. As part of our proactive approach to preventing health issues, we conduct thorough internal and external audits on a regular basis. "Our hotels in Cape Verde, which consist of six properties with a total of 4,650 rooms, maintain an average occupancy rate of over 80%. Given this high level of activity, we continuously monitor our operations to uphold the highest health and safety standards." ‌ 'Never leaving UK again' It was a luxury holiday of celebration that turned into a nightmare. Alison Shah had celebrated her big birthday in style with a month-long trip to countries including Bangkok and Thailand when she tried to get home with her partner Richard Kay, 52, and chaos ensued. The couple finally made it home after a three-day trek but their ordeal has made them vow 'never again'. "I have never experienced anything like this," said Alison. "We paid a lot of money for the holiday and it has ended in a nightmare." ‌ The couple had flown from Thailand to Dubai last April to find the airport in turmoil due to severe storms, with their plane circling above the airport for an hour and a half before it was able to land. They had a few hours to wait until flying to Manchester. "Finally at 8am, we started to board the plane, the plane was there," said Alison. "We then sat there for two and a half hours in the holding area waiting to get on the plane. Nobody was answering any questions and people were getting frantic." The couple's frustration peaked when they were informed of their flight had been cancelled. "We were then told our flight was cancelled and we had to leave the airport," added the emergency control operator. "We went back the following day and joined another queue for seven and a half hours. ‌ "We were waiting to board the plane and it kept saying delayed, delayed, delayed. The screen changed from Manchester to Sydney and they sent us away again." After spending money on a hotel stay, the couple faced further uncertainty at the airport the next day when they were offered a flight to Manchester on April 28 - 12 days after they were meant to head back home. "We couldn't do that. We had to go to work and we had already been out of the country for a month," Alison said. "I asked if they could get us to another airport, if I could get near the UK I could work it out. They got us a flight to Istanbul." ‌ But their ordeal wasn't over - landing in Istanbul on April 19, Alison and Richard were greeted with the news that their luggage had gone missing, meaning they had to buy clothes there. The couple then made their way from Istanbul to Dalaman, Turkey, on Saturday in hopes of catching a flight to Manchester. "We're pleased to be home, but really really upset not to be able to give the grandchildren the gifts and open the cases and do what you normally do when you get home," Alison said. Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, penned an open letter at the time of the disruption, which said: "The UAE experienced its highest rainfall in 75 years. Storm winds and torrential rain disrupted activities across the cities. ‌ "While our hub in Dubai continued to operate, albeit with reduced flight movements for safety reasons, the flooded roads hampered our customers, pilots, cabin crew, and airport employees from getting to the airport, and also affected the delivery of essential supplies like meals and other flight amenities.. "We know our response has been far from perfect. We acknowledge and understand the frustration of our customers due to the congestion, lack of information, and confusion in terminals. We acknowledge that the long queues and waiting times have been unacceptable." Terrifying break-in ‌ Becca Farley, 27, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, was enjoying a getaway in Benidorm with her family when she encountered intruders in their accommodation. The family had shelled out £2,500 for their week-long retreat. On their final evening, amidst hotel notices about an impending power outage, Becca headed to their room to charge mobile phones ahead of their journey back. She recounted the unsettling moment: "As I got in the lift these two teenagers got in the lift with me and just pressed my floor level. I honestly didn't think anything of it because there's five rooms per floor, so I just assumed they were going to one of them." However, the situation took a turn when the youths exited the lift before her and made a beeline for her room, which was propped open with a shoe. Initially confused, Becca thought she had got off on the wrong floor, but she quickly realised that wasn't the case. ‌ "It happened all quite quickly and they just strolled straight into my room," she said. Becca decided to follow them inside and confront them. "But I just didn't really think and went straight into the room and shouted 'What are you doing in my room? Get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out'." Thankfully, the teenagers did. Yet, the ordeal hadn't ended—the youth hammered on the door shortly after while Becca remained barricaded inside. "I was absolutely petrified," she confessed. "I know it sounds silly and people have said you should have done this, you should have locked them in the room, you should have decked them but at that moment I think it was just that invasion of privacy. This is supposed to be your safe place when you are away, you're away from home, we don't travel all that often so we were really shaken."