The Prettiest Village in England

Confession: of all of the beautiful, stately homes in the United Kingdom,  I really wanted to track down  the adorable Rose Hill cottage (and equally charming town) from The Holiday (aka the chicken soup of movies, pure comfort, and a bit underrated in my humble opinion).  Much to my dismay, I learned that the cottage wasn't real, and the facade was actually constructed on a set in La-La Land, where most of the movie was filmed.  Dreams dashed, I was determined to find and visit the most charming village or town in England (complete with adorable cottages).

After some research, I found that it is widely accepted that the "prettiest village in England" is Castle Combe, on the edge of the Cotswolds, near Bath.  And as luck would have it, it is only about an hour and a half's train ride from London!  So, when I woke up on Tuesday to clear blue skies and sunshine, I hightailed it to Paddington Station to see if Castle Combe lived up to its reputation.

In addition to being among the prettiest, Castle Combe must also be among the tiniest villages in England.  But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in charm.

I spent the day wandering about, following paths both well defined and less so, climbing muddy hills as best I could in boots without any tread (I even succeeded in staying upright on the climbs down, somehow).

It seemed like every time I turned around, I saw another pretty view.

 

 

When my hands finally got so cold that it was difficult to take photos, I retreated to the lovely Manor House Hotel for High Tea.

The tea was wonderful, the location was breathtaking, and the staff were incredibly kind.  I have no idea what the rooms are like, but based on my experience, I would highly recommend the Manor House to anyone wanting to visit the area!  They also have a Michelin starred restaurant for you traveling gourmands.

I could have happily sat in front of their roaring fireplace all afternoon, the light was fading quickly and I had a train to catch!

While I cannot say for certain that Castle Combe is the prettiest village in England (I haven't visited all of the others, yet), it is hard to imagine a prettier or more charming place to spend a day.