Castle Combe

Castle Combe gets called the prettiest village in England so often that it's become a cliché, but the problem is it might actually be true. It sits in a valley, untouched by modern development, with a single street of honey-stone cottages leading down to a medieval market cross and a stone bridge over a stream. There are no street lights, no TV aerials, no yellow lines. It looks exactly as it did in the 17th century, which is why film crews love it and why it gets absolutely mobbed with visitors in summer.

The village is tiny, population around 350 and genuinely hasn't changed much since the wool trade made it wealthy in the 15th century. The church of St Andrew at the top of the village has one of the oldest working clocks in England, installed around 1400 and still keeping time. The faceless clock on the tower chimes the hours and has done for over 600 years without a break, which is quietly impressive.

The Market Cross in the centre of the village dates from the 14th century and is where traders used to sell their goods. The Butter Cross nearby is later, 15th century and was specifically for dairy. Both are still standing, still used as landmarks, and both look like they've been lifted straight out of a storybook.

Castle Combe has been used as a film location more times than most people realise, Doctor Dolittle, Stardust, War Horse, and about half a dozen period dramas. The village essentially rents itself out to production companies because it requires zero set dressing to look medieval. The local residents either love it or hate it depending on how they feel about film crews blocking the road for a week.

There's one pub, The White Hart, which does solid food, local ales, and has been serving travellers since the 1700s. It gets busy at weekends, so book if you want a table. The Castle Inn just outside the village is the alternative if The White Hart is full.

The village also has a working weaver's cottage museum that's open occasionally and shows how cloth was made when Castle Combe was a centre of the wool trade. It's small, it's free, and it's worth ten minutes if you're into that sort of thing.

Castle Combe Circuit just outside the village is a motorsport venue that's been running since the 1950s. If you hear engines on a weekend, that's why. It hosts club racing, track days, and the occasional larger event. The village itself is silent, the circuit is far enough away that you don't hear it unless you're specifically going there.

The walk from Castle Combe to By Brook Valley is one of the better short walks in the area at about 3 miles, follows the stream through woods, and loops back to the village. Quiet, well signposted, and barely anyone on it even in summer.

Parking is the only real issue. There's a pay-and-display car park at the top of the village which fills up fast. Do not try to drive into the village itself, the streets are narrow, there's nowhere to turn around, and you'll end up reversing back up a hill while a coach waits for you to get out of the way. Park at the top and walk down.

Come early in the morning or late in the afternoon if you want to see it without crowds. Midday in summer is genuinely unpleasant, coaches, selfie sticks, traffic jams. Early spring or late autumn on a weekday is the time to visit if you want it to yourself.