Two villages among UK’S top ‘gems’

A PAIR of villages in the Cotswolds have been named among the best hidden gems in the nation.

Blockley, nestled within Gloucestershire’s northeastern tip, is joined by Bibury – previously hailed “the most beautiful village in England”.

Vacation rental company Hometogo has ranked the top 24 hidden gem villages across the UK. Each area was ranked based on a number of factors, including climate, rainfall, how many pubs are in the area and how hidden the village is.

All of the locations in the list are situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – yet none appear on the list of the top 500 most-searched destinations.

Hometogo said of Blockley, which lies just three miles northwest of Moreton-in-marsh: “This elegant village of golden-hued cottages was once a bustling hub for the silk trade. Now, its mills sit peacefully as pretty homes on the Blockley brook.

“Wander through Upton Wold, the ‘hidden garden of the Cotswolds,’ or take a table at Blockley Cafe for a seasonally inspired supper selected from an elevated menu.”

Also on the list is Bibury, set along the banks of the River Coln. The Cotswold village was previously hailed “the most beautiful village in England” by artist William Morris, and has since been the backdrop to films like Stardust and Bridget Jones’ Diary.

There are 24 villages on the list – although in the research three scored equally for the “eight” slot.

The list is: Dunwich, Suffolk; Studland, Dorset; Bosham, West Sussex; Worth Matravers, Dorset; Blockley, The Cotswolds; Bibury, The Cotswolds; Patterdale, Cumbria; Brancaster, Norfolk; Branscombe, Devon; Abbotsbury, Dorset; East Prawle, Devon; Challaborough, Devon; Arrochar, Loch Lomond; Rosedale Abbey, North York Moors; Salthouse, Norfolk; Cawsand, Cornwall; Solva, Pembrokeshire; Burnsall, Yorkshire Dales; Strangford, Strangford Lough; Ravenscar, North York Moors; Glaisdale, North York Moors; Helford, Cornwall; Polruan, Cornwall; Porthgain, Pembrokeshire.