Britain’s Best Chocolate Box Villages
Let’s face it, some parts of the UK look like they’ve just leapt off the pages of a storybook (or off the front of a chocolate box). These kinds of places are full of winding streets, quaint cottages and plenty of nooks and crannies to discover.
If you’re planning a staycation escape with your family, these are some of the most picturesque spots we recommend you stay in.
Bibury, Gloucestershire
Tucked away in the Cotswolds village of Bibury, you’ll find Arlington Row, a street of 17th-century stone cottages that are among the most photographed in the UK. Every year, thousands of visitors from all over the world come to Bibury to see the cottages and enjoy everything the village has to offer.
We think one of the best ways to enjoy Bibury is to take a leaf out of the River Coln’s book and go for a quiet meander through the streets of the village. There are plenty of pubs, restaurants and cafes to enjoy a comforting meal or gaze at the lazy river.
Painswick, Gloucestershire
A little over 30 minutes in the car will get you from Bibury to Painswick, which carries the nickname ‘Queen of the Cotswolds’. Marking the halfway point of the 100-mile-long Cotswold Way, Painswick is a historic wool town with narrow streets of famous Cotswold stone cottages. Dotted throughout, you’ll find plenty of shops, galleries and places to eat.
On the edges of the town, you’ll also be able to spend a peaceful afternoon in the Painswick Rococo Garden. Designed in the 1740s as a party retreat, this is the country’s only complete surviving garden of its kind and well worth a visit.
Haworth, West Yorkshire
Cobbled streets lined with stone terraced houses and colourful vintage shop fronts make Haworth a nostalgic village that looks like it’s barely changed since its heyday.
As well as this, Haworth is famous for being the home of the Brontë sisters, who created literary classics including Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and many more. While in Haworth, you can visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum or the family’s former home to learn more about their lives and history. Travel a little outside the village, and you’ll also be able to explore the surrounding moors that inspired the sisters’ work. Or take the youngsters for a scenic ride on the vintage steam railway that passes nearby.
Luss, Loch Lomond
Perfect for a family day out, Luss is a historic village on the shores of Loch Lomond, about 45 minutes outside of Glasgow by car. Here, you can enjoy an ice cream while wandering along the waterfront or through the cottage-lined streets of the village. If you’re heading up to Luss with the kids, make sure to equip them with one of our kids’ umbrellas to keep them dry on the more blustery and rainy days.
Or, why not kick up your adrenaline with exciting water sports for the whole family, including kayaking, water-skiing, and speed boating? If this is too much, you can also take a slightly more relaxing boat tour around Loch Lomond, the UK’s largest inland lake. These boat tours often stop off at other villages around the loch and the nature reserve on Inchcailloch Island, so there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained.
Cartmel, Cumbria
On the south edge of the Lake District National Park, Cartmel is a great place for a walking holiday and is also a foodie’s dream.
Outside of the cute lanes and bridges that cross the small river that winds through the village, you’ll find several walking routes. This includes the magical woodland walks in the nearby Eggerslack and Hampsfield, which become blanketed in bluebells in the spring.
Once you’ve worked up an appetite, drop back into the village to sample the fantastic food and drink on offer. If you’re feeling fancy, indulge at one of the two Michelin-star restaurants or experience the delicious sticky toffee pudding Cartmel is famous for.
Portmeirion, Gwynedd
Portmeirion is a Mediterranean-inspired coastal village in North Wales.
Within the woodlands overlooking the Dwyryd Estuary, this vivid village was built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1926 and 1976. We say vivid because one of the things that makes Portmeirion so special are the brightly coloured buildings around every corner and the beautiful sub-tropical gardens.
Kids will love trying to uncover the secret spots around the village and gardens – and you can even experience a well-earned rest with a relaxing spa treatment! Afterwards, the family can gather to fill up at one of Portmeirion’s cute cafes and restaurants.
Have you decided which one you’re going to visit first? We certainly can’t! In the meantime, you can make sure you’re prepared for the best of the British weather during your family trip and check out our range of kids’ umbrellas.