A small medieval city that has featured in a host of TV and Hollywood films has been named the UK’s top destination.
Wells in Somerset, one of the UK’s smallest cities, topped the survey of inland towns and villages by Which?.
The city has featured in TV and film productions including Hot Fuzz, Dungeons & Dragons and Wolf Hall.
The city scored five stars for attractiveness and tourist attractions including its cathedral, and four stars for scenery, shopping, food and drink.
It was followed by Avebury in Wiltshire, famed for its 5,000-year-old Neolithic stone circle, thatched cottages and 19th-century pub.
Corfe Castle in Dorset, which was built by William the Conquerer in the 11 century – and was a favourite with children’s author Enid Blyton – came joint third with Merseyside’s Port Sunlight. The village scored five stars for tourist attractions and scenery, with visitors able to explore the castle ruins and enjoy spectacular views over the Purbeck Hills to Poole Harbour.
Port Sunlight was built by William Hesketh Lever in 1888 to provide 900 homes for workers at his soap factory and is named after his Sunlight soap. The village scored four stars out of five for attractiveness, tourist attractions and value for money. It also scored a full five stars for peace and quiet.
Rory Boland, the editor of Which? Travel, said: “From famed tourist towns to lesser known villages, this year’s survey has captured the range of unique destinations the UK has to offer.
“While the picturesque south-west took the top spots, there are beautiful towns and villages in Wales and across England in the top 10 – meaning there is a fantastic place to visit on your doorstep no matter where you live.”
Top 10
1. Wells, Somerset
2. Avebury, Wiltshire
3. Port Sunlight, Merseyside
3. Corfe Castle, Dorset
4. Grasmere, Cumbria
5. Lavenham, Suffolk
6. Llangollen, Denbighshire
7. Ludlow, Shropshire
8. Stamford, Lincolnshire
9. Cartmel, Cumbria
10. Church Stretton, Shropshire
• This article was amended on 9 September 2023 to correct the location of Llangollen, which is in Denbighshire, rather than Derbyshire, and to remove part of a quote that suggested that places in Scotland had made the top 10 list.
