While these pretty cottages look like they belong on a postcard, they can actually be found on the outskirts of Greater Manchester.
Just three miles north of Bolton lies the picturesque village of Barrow Bridge. The quaint village has bags of character and charm thanks to its cosy cottages and rural feel.
The area is home to an abundance of nature including wildflowers and fungi which attracts visitors from all over. It's also famous for its 63 steps, a staircase mill workers would climb every day to get to work. Today, they lead visitors up onto the beautiful West Pennine Moors.
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Another popular walking route is the Barrow Bridge trail, a short, 30-minute trek which takes walkers through beautiful woodland. Not only that, the village is also home to a small but charming waterfall on Dean Brook – so it’s no surprise the area has become so popular with tourists in recent years.
One resident who has noticed an increase in visitors is Tony Dysart. “Tourists don't bother me,” the 55-year-old told the Manchester Evening News. “It's nice people find it an attractive area.
“It's got busier; over the last few years there have been articles in local newspapers. That's fine; it's nice to share such a lovely part of Bolton and Greater Manchester.
“"It's nice and quiet and it's very picturesque. The community is very supporting and it's great for going out and walking the dog.
"I love the tranquillity of it - it's very relaxing and it's nice on the evening when the traffic is quieter and there are not as many people coming up here.”
Jack Halliwell and his family have lived in Barrow Bridge for 17 years. While the 22-year-old says he loves being surrounded by nature, there is one downside to living in a secluded area – the phone signal.
“I like the surroundings, they're good. That's the main reason why people come here,” he said.
"It's a good place to go to walk the dog. It's only recently over the last three to four years that it's got popular. There's more going on, the Woodland Trust has been building stuff and putting boards up encouraging people to come.
"I would probably prefer it if it was quiet but it's not always on my mind. When we had the heatwave, it was really busy. Before the road shut, loads of cars would come on the weekend.
"We have no phone signal; my brother wrote to my local MP about it. It only picks up around the park, occasionally you get lucky if you go to the top of the garden. It's bad because if you're at home for a few days no one can get in touch with you."
Rebecca Schoular and her family say they have considered moving away from the area – but fear they will find nothing that comes close to the beauty of Barrow Bridge.
“We're struggling to consider moving because there's nothing like it when you come out of your front door,” the 44-year-old mum-of-one said.
"It's ideal for having dogs, we've also got a young son as well so he has a park on his doorstep. It's just very peaceful for the most part - obviously we have the roadworks that are going on.
"We've been thinking about moving but we're struggling because you just don't get this. We go outside our front door and we're not taking the dog for a walk in a typical estate. We turn right and we're at woodlands and moors, on the left there's a park.
"Since Covid, we've all become really good friends. We all tend to congregate at each other's houses which is nice.
"We're noticing more visitors, mainly because of all the roadworks that are going on. It's more noticeable because people haven't meant to be pushing past the signs but they are. You get your walker and horse rider, that's all nice. It only tends to be busy on weekends or holidays.
"I've got a beautiful picture on my phone of when we had eight deer in our garden. You get plenty of wildlife too."
Nestled within the Smithills Estate, the largest Woodland Trust site in England, the village was once a model community village for around 1,000 mill workers.
Constructed during the Industrial Revolution, the industrial village was largely created by cotton mill owners John and Robert Lord.
And although the cotton mills have long gone, the attractive workers’ cottages can still be seen today next to a small stream. A chimney still stands as a monument to its past.
The village formerly included a row of cottages, a shop and an educational institute. Houses for the managers were built a short distance away, overlooking the brook.
Jim Taylor, 90, has lived in Barrow Bridge his entire life. "It's very quiet and very peaceful,” the 90-year-old said. "Where the road takes you is wide open. There's moorland and a valley there."
One resident, who did not wish to give her name, described life in Barrow Bridge as “idyllic” - but says there’s one thing that has upset her about visitors.
"People would have picnics and camp in the woods behind but never take stuff down. After a long Bank Holiday, it was absolutely cluttered down there with paper and things they left.
"They take a bag of food, why can't they put it back in a bag? I'll never understand it.
"We've always had tourism. It's a nice place to live; when you live here, you get used to it. You get the odd biker trying to do wheelies on top of the banking."
Gary Roberts moved to Barrow Bridge from Radcliffe two years ago. “It's great; just the peacefulness - especially at night when everyone has gone,” the 63-year-old said. “During the winter it gets dark and it's just peaceful and relaxing.
"I moved from Radcliffe. Most of the time we've been here the road has been closed because the wall collapsed. There's not been any traffic, just foot traffic and horses."
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