A picturesque village that's become popular with tourists is proving to be a nightmare for local residents, who say their community has been 'ruined by Airbnbs and drones'.
Castle Combe, in the Cotswolds, Wiltshire, has been coined 'one of the most beautiful locations in the UK' in countless lists and polls, but it's not the utopia many expect.
Every year, thousands of tourists flock to the famous area - which features in films such as Stephen Spielberg's War Horse - forcing overwhelmed locals to order them off their land.
The village boasts stunning walking routes and quaint old streets, but privacy is now "invaded by drones" and coaches packed full of busy guided tours.
According to residents, the number of people who live there full-time has dropped in recent years - with houses snapped up by the wealthy as holiday homes.
Georgina Kingshott, a post-doctoral scientist, has lived in the village since 2016 after escaping London for a quieter life.
She said that tourists fill the sky above her home with drones and treat the area like a seaside town.
"In the hotter months people pitch up like it is the beach which can be a bit annoying," Georgina, 44, said.
"People will pitch up at one of the benches and be here all day.
"It is terrible because during lockdown it was great. The other bad thing is that people will fly their drones across the village.
"It feels very intrusive. They are not supposed to do that and there are signs up and down.
"You will wander into the garden and hear the sound of a drone and think 'what is going on?'"
There is a gated area to keep tourists away, but Georgina said "people will pretend not to see it and sit on this side of the fence."
"I always feel a bit like 'get off my land'. It can be intrusive with people running up and down," she said.
Anna Roberts agrees with Georgina, and said the community feel has gone from the village in recent years.
Anna, 60, has lived there for two decades and runs a pop-up tearoom, which welcomes locals as they boost trade.
When she first moved here, she said around 95 percent of the village was filled with residents. Now, she claims it is around 50 percent.
"This is because as houses go up for sale, we are finding very few people who want to move in and live here," Anna said.
"We have people who buy from abroad - they buy them as holiday homes, second homes and Airbnbs.
"That has been one of the saddest things as it has completely changed the community for those of us who still live here.
"At one time, we knew everyone who lived in every house. It was a very good community, a close community, and there was a real family feel.
"Now, unfortunately, those people who live here part-time or have it as a holiday home, they don't really get involved in things."
Anna explained that it has "become very different" in recent times and it's "now a very tourist village".
"If I didn't run a business from here we wouldn't want to stay here," she added.
Do you love or hate living at Castle Combe? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
