A once-picturesque village often described as the UK’s ‘most beautiful’ has finally had enough of tourists – who have slowly turned the area into a coach-riddled nightmare
A fairytale-like village lined with chocolate box cottages and a winding river has announced a brutal clampdown on tourists. A clear victim of its own beauty, Bibury, which was once described by the artist William Morris as the ‘most beautiful village in England’, can witness more than 10,000 visitors in a single day.
When you compare that staggering figure to the fact Bibury is only home to 600 residents, you can imagine how insufferably busy the area can get. For many, the magic has been zapped out of the village: replaced with droves of selfie-stick-waving holidaymakers who aren’t afraid to pose in front of residents’ houses, and up to 50 coaches herding tourists into the village in a single day.
Surrounded by rolling countryside in the acclaimed Cotswolds, over-tourism has started to really divide locals. Some of them profit from the visitor influx, by renting out their holiday home or running the local pub. But for most, tourists are a mere nuisance.
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Following escalating concerns, Gloucestershire County Council recently announced that it would restrict coaches parking in the centre of the village within the next two months. However, at the exact same time, a local business owner wants to open a new parking site on the edge of the village.
According to the BBC, local resident Wendy Hazelwood said she didn’t mind tourists looking at her property – but has had enough of people invading her privacy by trying to peek through her gates and curtains. “This [the proposed new parking site] is totally counter-productive to what we want to achieve in the village because it will bring approximately 800 tourists, maybe, every hour extra into the village,” she added. “We’re trying to reduce the tourism, not increase it.”
Cllr Craig Chapman, chairman of Bibury Parish Council warned the coach ban is only the ‘start of the action’ even though the measure is temporary. “We are not a suitable destination for coaches, as there isn’t adequate parking,” he added. “We carried out a safety survey on these bays; they’re too short and they’re in exactly the wrong place by a bridge, which is single track. To manoeuvre into the bays, blocks the whole road.”
Maxwell Thomas, who proposed the parking site – which could fit 100 cars and 12 coaches – argues locals should embrace tourists. He told the BBC that visitors had been coming to Bibury ‘for hundreds of years’ and that residents couldn’t expect holidaymakers not to explore the quaint village.
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If you’re not put off by the bustling crowds, Bibury is around 100 miles from London and takes around two hours and 15 minutes in the car. You can get a direct train to Kemble, which cuts the journey time in half, and then get a 24-minute taxi to Bibury. If you’re flexible with prices, you can get a single adult fare for as little as £28.50.
Accommodation in Bibury is limited due to its small size – which means staying overnight can be pricey. For example, a weekend’s stay (Friday, April 25-27) at the four-star Swan Hotel would set you back a staggering £610, based on two adults sharing.
However, if you’re willing to stay slightly out of the tourist-riddled centre, you’ll be able to get much more for your money. Staying at the acclaimed Cotteswold House, which is a 15-minute walk from Bibury, on the exact same dates would save you almost £200 (£460, including breakfast).
*Prices based on Trainline and Booking.com listings at the time of writing.
Do you think Bibury is worth the hype? Let us know in the comments section below
