The West Country is filled with stunning villages and towns, from seaside locations in Cornwall to quaint hamlets in the Cotswolds. But now Castle Combe, which is an hour 30 minutes from Bristol, has been named in the top 10 most beautiful places in the country.
It is up there with the likes of Cambridge, Edinburgh and Dorset's Durdle Door. Global travel site Big 7 Travel has released its annual listing of the 50 Most Beautiful Places in the UK placing the Cotswolds village on the list, reports Gloucestershire Live.
And there was another place, again not too far from Bristol which featured on the list. Tintern Abbey, on the Gloucestershire-Monmouthshire border and on the banks of the River Rye was placed at 29 on the list.
READ MORE: The beautiful Cotswolds town London tourists shun because it’s on the ‘wrong side’
Experts said "this once-thriving gothic masterpiece dates all the way back to 1131 and has not stopped wowing since". The list which is now in its 2nd year features beautiful destinations across the UK.
Destinations were ranked on their overall beauty, editorial opinions and reader suggestions from the previous year's list. Talking about Castle Combe, Big 7 Travel said: "The Cotswolds is full of chocolate-box villages to discover, but Castle Combe’s charm is unmatched. The surprising lack of tourist shops and rows of 17 th -century stone brick cottages give the place a real lived-in feel.
"Although you will probably spot a few tourists. It is considered England’s prettiest village, so it’s firmly on the tourist trail for good reason. Wander through the surrounding woodlands and be sure to take a snap of the storybook cottages from the bridge over the River ByBrook."
And reviewers on Tripadvisor were equally as impressed. One person wrote: "Castle Combe is as picturesque in real life as it looks online. Truly the prettiest village I have visited. Quiet & peaceful; mostly privately owned & residential homes to people so I’d hope people respect this.
"The river is beautiful, the buildings are stunning, the roads are quiet yet small, so drive carefully through the village."
Another said: "Beautiful picturesque village with plenty of photo opportunities. Car park was very cheap which was a welcome change! It was up the top of a steep hill with no footpath which meant dodging traffic for the 10 minute walk to the village itself."
For the whole list of the Top 50 most beautiful places in the UK, see here.
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