Quaint British villages with toy-town cottages, car-free roads and cosy pubs – handpicked by our travel writers
IT SEEMS like autumn is already in the air – and if you’re in need of some new staycation inspiration for the rest of this year then look no further.
The Sun’s travel team have picked our favourite towns and villages to visit in the UK from award-winning hotels and cosy pubs to secondhand haunts and Famous Five-like locations, there’s something for everyone.
Harrogate, North Yorkshire – Hope Brotherton, Travel Reporter
FOR the last few years, my annual trip to Harrogate has been an immovable fixture in my calendar.
The Victorian spa town is the perfect place for a little bit of R&R thanks to its history of spa tourism, which is very much alive.
Head to The Harrogate Spa at the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel if you’d like a pamper, which is a personal favourite of mine.
Make sure to overindulge at Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms where a glass of pink champagne and a huge scone are almost compulsory.
Harrogate is also home to the Glastonbury of Book festivals.
Taking place every July, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which has been affectionately nicknamed Harrogate crime writing festival, completely dominates the picturesque Yorkshire town – and I don’t think anyone would have it any other way.
As someone who’s been going to the festival for the last three years, I personally think it should be called the Glastonbury of book festivals with previous headliners including household names like Richard Osman, Lee Child, Kathy Reichs, Mark Billingham and Val McDermid.
Lavenham, Suffolk – Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor
ONE of my favourite villages I’ve ever visited in England is Lavenham, which is beautiful in autumn.
Said to be the best preserved medieval village in the UK, it is known for two buildings – the 600-year-old Crooked House and the De Vere House, which featured in the Harry Potter films.
Warm up at The Swan Hotel, which has its cosy Weavers Spa onsite.
Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire – Sophie Swietochowski, Assistant Travel Editor
Perched atop a craggy cliff, overlooking a dinky shore, Robin Hood’s Bay seems like something from a fiction tale or a North Yorkshire postcard.
In summer, you’ll find dogs sprinting along the sands, while owners tuck into fresh crab sandwiches from the beachside hut and little ones fish for treasures in the rock pools.
I prefer the village in winter, though, when the weather takes a turn and nature comes alive with the grassy dunes dancing in the wind and moody waves thrashing on the rocks.
Aside from curling up in front of a roaring pub fire, in colder months visitors can stroll the rows of higgledy-piggledy boutiques and cafes dishing up wedges of homemade cakes piled high with buttercream.
You’ll be treading history as you meander the narrow alleyways too, as this former fishing village was once very popular with smugglers.
Contraband like gin or tea would be snuck in through the warren of interconnected houses and tunnels.
What’s more, there’s a restriction on visitor vehicles and cars are even banned from the harbour area, making it a great place for a car-free trip.
Hay On Wye, Wales – Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital)
WHEN I first set foot in Hay-On-Wye, I couldn’t believe I’d left it until my late thirties to visit – what a waste of a few decades.
The small town on the Welsh borders that sits on the River Wye is probably best known for hosting the annual Hay literary festival, and it’s definitely a book-lovers paradise – with more than 20 book stores to explore.
They sit among the many antiques shops, which sell everything from fabulous Welsh rugs to toy soldiers, trinkets and beautiful furniture.
There are so many things to browse that I could probably waste a whole week on second-hand shopping alone.
Hay Castle stands imposingly in the middle of the town’s meandering little lanes, and you can visit the medieval fortifications and 17-century mansion daily, which also houses a fantastic art gallery called Hay Prints, run by a local artist who runs print shops using the castle’s 19th century printing press.
If you have any money left, the town is also chock full of local food and drink, including Black Mountain coffee and Lucky 7 beers, Hay gin, local sheep-milk ice cream and Welsh brie.
And that’s without even mentioning what’s just beyond the town buildings – it’s right on the edge of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (the Brecon Beacons), with everything from mountain hiking, to bushcraft, watersports to zip wires.
If you do stay, I highly recommend booking into By The Wye, a tree house glamping site that’s right on the river and just a three-minute walk into town.
It was gloriously peaceful, despite being within staggering distance of the pub.
Letchmore Heath, Hertfordshire – Lisa Minot, Head of Travel
THIS quintessential little village may seem very familiar to some. It’s tiny – with just 150 houses, a village green, a pond and a lovely pub, The Three Horseshoes.
But with Elstree Studios just up the road, it has been used as a set in countless films, in particular the 1960s British horror movie, Village of the Damned.
Its close proximity to London – just half an hour away on a train from nearby Radlett or Elstree and Borehamwood station – means it’s easy to get to.
The surrounding countryside is wonderful for walks – the Aldenham Reservoir has a lovely lakeside path to stroll around. And it’s also close to the Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter at Leavesden.
Orford, Suffolk – Ryan Gray, Travel Reporter
Orford in Suffolk is an adorable village with toy-town cottages and pubs cute enough to adorn the front of any postcard.
None, however, are more twee than the pastel-pink Pump Street bakery, whose chocolates and eccles cakes are worth a visit to the village on their own.
The bakery’s goods are served in the award-winning The Luxury Crown and Castle hotel, which picked up the East of England Small Hotel of the Year Gold Tourism Award for 2022-23.
The hotel is named after the 12th century fort that it sits opposite, which is now operated by English Heritage.
Just a short walk from the centre of Orford is the harbour, where visitors can jump aboard little boats that offer trips to discover the Rivers Alde, Ore and Deben.
A one-hour trip downriver from Orford leads guests to the RSPB reserve at Havergate Island, where tourists are able to spot plenty of birds and harbour seals.
Meanwhile, on the seaward side of the river, Orford Ness, a 10-mile long strip of land mainly made of shingle, offers a chance to explore the area’s role in the UK’s military history, with a host of buildings built during the Cold War.
Minster, Cotswolds – Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor
And having grown up in the Cotswolds, my childhood was spent exploring pretty little villages.
But one I spent most of my time in was Minster Lovell, where I swam in the river and had picnics within the Minster ruins.
There is little else to do there, but if you want a Famous Five-esque day out with the kids going back to basics, there is nothing better.
Plockton, Lochalsh – Heather Lowrie, Scottish Sun’s Travel Editor
Scotland has more than its fair share of stunning villages, many on the coast, offering fabulous seaviews, while others can be found in the countryside, surrounded by rolling hills and gorgeous glens.
My all-time favourite just has to be picture-perfect Plockton -made famous by the hit TV cop show Hamish Macbeth.
It sits on a beautiful bay overlooking Loch Carron on the north west coast and believe me it’s worth the four hour plus drive from Glasgow. You can also get there by rail, the journey is spectacular.
You’ll find pretty little pastel coloured houses lining the shores, pebble beaches to explore, common seals bobbing around the calm waters, eagles soaring overhead and most probably you’ll bump into a Highland cow or four, which free roam in the area.
There’s cute craft stores, a distillery and the unmissable Plockton Inn serving up fabulously fresh seafood, traditional Scottish fare and plenty of pints to wash ot all down.
There’s three hotels which just shows how popular this village of just 500 residents is and numerous B&Bs.
Historic Duncraig Castle is a lovely meandering walk away and the bridge to Skye is just seven miles away which is well worth a visit.
Deal, Kent – Lisa Minot, Head of Travel
THIS quirky, charming seaside town delivers all you could want from an English coastal break and more.
The maze of narrow streets and alleyways are steeped in history as Deal was renowned for smuggling in the 18th century. Middle Street sees elegant Georgian townhouses sat alongside fishermen’s cottages.
Stroll down its pretty little pier and you’ll look back on a landscape that has hardly changed for centuries. Back on the seafront, check out 81 Beach Street for some seriously sophisticated seafood – fresh off the fishing boats – and great veggie and vegan options.
Stay at the Royal Hotel – Lord Nelson was a frequent visitor to this beachfront historic gem.
But as well as all that history, the town has a thriving arts scene with lots of art galleries and exhibitions year-round.
Alnwick, Northumberland – Ryan Gray, Travel Reporter
The North East of England is a treasure trove for quaint villages and towns, with Alnwick standing out among them.
For bookworms, it’s the perfect place to go, with Barter Books both one of the largest second hand book shops in Europe and easily one of the most beautiful.
The former Victorian train station is now home to thousands and thousands of books and one of the town’s best cafes, perfect for visiting on a rainy day, finding something great to read and curling up by the fires with a cup of tea in one of the old waiting rooms.
Harry Potter fans are particularly keen to head to Alnwick, which is home to Alnwick Castle, or Hogwarts as many know it, with the ornate fortress used to represent Harry’s magical school in some of the film series’ more memorable scenes. Visitors to the castle can even take part in broom flying lessons.
For younger kids, Lilidorei at Alnwick Garden is the largest play structure in the world, while the rest of the garden is home to some unique attractions and features, including its famous poison garden.
The Alnwick Brewery Co taproom is the perfect place to visit for a drink, especially on a warm day, with its outdoor area a wonderful place to soak up the sun with a locally-brewed pint.
The town is also a stone’s throw from some of the most breath-taking stretches of shoreline in the UK, including places like Druridge Bay, Bamburgh and Alnmouth.
Wombourne, Staffordshire – Hope Brotherton, Travel Reporter
I was lucky enough to spend my childhood visiting family in Wombourne, a tiny rural village just south of Rural Wolverhampton.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the Staffordshire village is old enough to have medieval roots.
While a sense of history wafts through the village green, one of my favourite places to visit as a child was The Wom Brook – a stream that winds through the centre of the village.
My siblings and I would spend hours dropping pooh sticks down from the bridge or squeal as we braved the cold water in the shallowest part of the river – it didn’t even come up to our ankles but it was enough.
Be sure to walk down the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal too.
Boscastle, Cornwall – Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital)
Picture an English seaside town and it usually stirs up images of sandy shores, 99 cones with flakes, maybe even a pier.
But Boscastle on the north coast of Cornwall couldn’t be further from that.
The quaint harbour village with its steep narrow lanes, lined with the cutest of Cornish stone cottages, is a great snapshot of the wild northern edge of the county.
My favourite part is following the river that runs out into the sea though, and jumping from the harbour wall into the water at high tide.
Then, warming up with a coffee and a pastry from The Good Stuff cafe on Castle Harbour.
And in the evenings, there is no where better for a fantastic meal than the small, but lively seafood restaurant and bar that serves fish caught from their boat and meat from their farm. Oh, and some excellent cocktails.
Three other villages to visit in England
ENGLAND is home to more than 6,000 villages, which means there are plenty to discover. Here are just three others to visit this year:
- Located in Kent, Biddenden is somewhat overlooked by holidaymakers. That being said, there’s lots to do in the Kent village, including a stroll around Biddenden Vineyards – an award-winning vineyard.
- Beaulieu in Hampshire sits on a river of the same name and is famous for its motor museum, its ponies and its spectacular nature. Its surroundings earned it a place on a list of the most beautiful villages in the country, where it beat other picturesque destinations like Orford in Suffolk.
- Saltaire, a Victorian village in West Yorkshire, is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was first created as a model village, with houses built for the Salt Mill factory workers between 1851 and 1871.
Another tiny village in the UK has been compared to a retro 1940s film set.
And an abandoned village in England only opens to tourists once a year.