Cars are banned from this picturesque village which is surrounded by miles of stunning countryside
A village in Cumbria has been crowned the UK’s ‘most fairytale-like destination’, according to a new study. Hawkshead in the Lake District beat locations from across the country, including the South Coast and the Inner Hebrides to bag the top spot.
The list was published by Betway Casino which analysed towns and villages across the UK based on a range of key ‘fairytale’ indicators. Each metric was chosen to reflect the elements that make a destination feel enchanting, from historic character to picturesque scenery.
It’s easy to see why Hawkshead ranked in first place. Located a stone’s throw away from Windermere, this quaint village features whitewashed cottages and narrow cobbled lanes. The fact it has 69 listed buildings ensures that its historic character is preserved.
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To add to the magic the village is traffic-free so you won’t see queues of cars snaking through its streets – afterall you don’t get traffic jams in fairytales. There’s miles upon miles of gorgeous scenery on its doorstep too and the impressive Wray Castle is just a short drive away (although it is temporarily closed at the moment).
The village isn’t the only Cumbrian location to make the list. The town of Keswick came in third place. Surrounded by mountains, including England’s fourth-highest Skiddaw, Keswick has breathtaking scenery which could give any fairytale setting a run for its money.
Meanwhile another location within easy reach of Greater Manchester ranked in second place: Beddgelert in Gwynedd. Nestled in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, the village is just over a mile away sits Dinas Emrys, a fortress ruin woven into legend as the site where the red dragon triumphed, giving Beddgelert an extra sense of mysticism.
The UK’s most fairytale-like destinations
- Hawkshead, Cumbia
- Beddgelert, Gwynedd
- Keswick, Cumbria
- Oban, Argyll and Bute
- Tobermory, Isle of Mull
- Plockton, Highland
- Clovelly, Devon
- Hay-on-Wye, Powys
- Rye, East Sussex
- Helmsley, North Yorkshire