From the coast to the mountains, these villages are surrounded by stunning scenery
The village of Portmeirion has been named among the UK’s ‘prettiest’ to visit this summer (Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)
If you’re planning an escape this summer, it might just be worthwhile looking at destinations across the UK for your next day out or staycation. From vast beaches to rolling countryside, there’s plenty of places to visit right on our doorstep.
Across the country are hundreds of villages which provide a slice of idyllic pastoral life. Think old pubs, village greens and gorgeous scenery.
As well as being destinations in themselves, villages can offer a great base for exploring an area or beauty spot – and allows you to sample a slower place of life for yourself. The Independent recently issued a list of the 14 prettiest villages to visit in the UK this summer and three of them are within easy reach of Greater Manchester.
Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter
The wider list includes well-known locations spanning the UK including the Isle of Skye, Cornwall and The Cotswolds. But it also features two villages in North Wales and one in Lancashire.
The village of Portmeirion(Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)
Perhaps the most striking entry has to be the ‘Italian-style village’ Portmeirion in Gwynedd. With colourful ornate buildings and European-style piazzas, this place could easily double as somewhere on the Italian Rivivera.
The Independent describes it as an “ideal spot for a relaxed weekend in North Wales”, and said: “The pastel buildings, piazza and Gwyllt Japanese gardens will take you from rural Wales to Italy, Japan and back without ever having to leave the UK.“
The village was actually a project by architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis which began in 1925, and was completed around half a century later. Although be warned, you do have to pay a fee to enter, which costs £14 for children and £20 for adults.
Beddgelert, Gwynedd. (Image: WalesOnline)
Another North Wales spot on the list is Beddgelert, nestled in the heart of the Eryri National Park (Snowdonia). With its stone-built buildings and bridges crossing the rivers Colwyn and Glaslyn, Beddgelert truly has a fairytale-feel to it.
Described as a “spot of classic Welsh beauty”, the village is handily located to explore the surrounding landscape and perhaps one of the best ways to experience it is by picking up the Welsh Highland Railway, which passes through the village. A popular activity in Beddgelert is a circular walk which supposedly takes you to the grave of the legendary dog which earned the village its name.
As the legend goes, a prince left his loyal Irish wolf-hound Gelert in charge of his baby son. Upon his return he found blood on the dog’s fur with the baby’s cot lying empty, and in a rage of fury stabbed him with his sword. But then he discovered the body of a wolf nearby and heard the cry of his son, but it was too late for the dog. To honour Gelert he gave him a nobleman’s burial in a meadow just outside of the village.
The village of Downham, Lancashire (Image: MEN)
Over in Lancashire, the village of Downham has also made the cut which The Independent describes as a “serious contender for a summer stroll”. Located in the Forest of Bowland at the foot of Pendle Hill, Downham is rather unusual in that it’s retained its historic feel with a lack of major road signs, satellite dishes and overhead wires.
The scenic village has actually been owned by the Assheton family since 1588, which has helped it preserve its unspoilt beauty. The village’s pub, the Assheton Arms, provides the ideal spot to refuel after a walk in the surrounding countryside.
For more of the latest What’s On news, click here.
