The Cotswolds is well known for its natural beauty of rolling wolds countryside, picturesque gardens and its ancient villages. And one village in particular is distinctly recognised as not only Cotswolds' best, but perhaps the best to exist in the country.
Luckily for us, it is located only around 30 minutes from Bristol by car, and it happens to be crowned the prettiest village in Britain. As reported by MyLondon , Castle Combe is hailed for its timelessness, with 107 listed buildings in the parish, as well as its honey-coloured stone houses.
For a more thorough guide around the village, MyLondon’s Lea Dzifa Seeberg breaks down some of the most outstanding gems in Castle Combe below. For example, sites such as St Andrew's Church was first founded in the 13th century and has been expanded regularly since.
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It's home to a faceless clock, which is believed to be one of the country's oldest. And history buffs can enjoy the well-maintained graveyard with tombstones going back centuries.
"The church and churchyard are so interesting. The graves dating far back, and is so well kept, as is the church, and are very popular with visitors," one person wrote on TripAdvisor, while another said: "Located in the centre of Castle Combe, wonderful little village and very well maintained church. Usually quite quiet and probably worth a visit if you are in the area."
To explore the surrounding area, head out on the Castle Combe circular walking route . It begins in the village's car park then goes through the village and across several fields and a golf green.
You'll come across several picturesque streams and brooks before the path takes you back to Castle Combe. The whole walk is 3.5 miles long, which should take a little over an hour to walk at a leisurely pace. And when you're back in the village there's plenty of dinner options too.
For a private afternoon tea, reserve a table at The Old Rectory Pop Up Tea Room . For £28.50 per person, six to 50 guests can enjoy an afternoon of sandwiches, scones, cakes and hot drinks.
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The experience has rave reviews with one person saying "I am not really a fan of afternoon tea but I decided to book due to the excellent reviews and we were not disappointed. This place is absolutely amazing!!! There is nothing negative that I can say about anything, it was all superb." Countless more said the scones were the "best ever".
For something more substantial, head to The Salutation Inn where you'll find everything from sandwiches and burgers to pie and mash, pasta, and a whole host of desserts.
It's Tripadvisor's top rated restaurant in Castle Combe and people say it's "a hidden gem" with one describing how they "went here while visiting the local area and everything about the place was excellent. Wonderful welcome, great attentive service, delicious food and all at a very reasonable price. Just perfect."
And for something a bit posher, check out the Michelin-starred Bybrook Restaurant at the Manor House Hotel. Their six-course tasting menu is priced at £110 per person and includes dishes like duck liver and Devonshire wild fallow deer.
Previous guests have called it "a real culinary delight" and one raving that "The tasting menu was truly delicious, made of some classic dishes and some others that we more creative like the burrata frozen into an ice cream. The atmosphere was also great, not too serious but still with the best level of service you would expect from a Michelin restaurant."
