A place in Wiltshire is often called “the prettiest village in England” – a title it has held onto for decades thanks to its honey-coloured cottages, winding streets and setting beside the By Brook.
Castle Combe, around 10 miles north-east of Bath, looks exactly as you might imagine a classic English settlement to appear.
It has a population of just 356, recorded at the 2021 census, and remarkably, no new homes have been built in the historic centre since around 1600. As a result, the streetscape today is much the same as it was hundreds of years ago.
Two additional elements – or rather, their absence – helps add to that illusion. In Castle Combe there are no TV aerials and no street lights. These missing details may sound minor, but with no modern clutter on rooftops and no harsh lighting intruding after dark, the place retains a look that could easily belong to another century.
The village takes its name from the 12th-century castle that once stood to the north. Only earthworks remain, but in the Middle Ages Castle Combe grew into a prosperous settlement. The wool trade played a key role, and by the 14th century a market was being held here – the 14th-century Market Cross still stands where the village’s three main streets meet.
Nearby is St Andrew’s Church, parts of which date from the 13th century. Inside, visitors can see one of the oldest working clocks in the country, thought to have been built in the 15th century. Unlike most clocks, it has no face, instead striking the hours with a bell.
The untouched look of Castle Combe has made it a favourite with film and TV producers. Its first big screen appearance came in 1967, when Hollywood crews came to shoot the musical Doctor Dolittle. The production ran into problems – persistent rain caused delays and locals objected to some of the set changes – but the film firmly put Castle Combe on the map as a location.
Since then, directors have returned time and again. Matthew Vaughn’s fantasy Stardust (2007) transformed the village into the fictional community of Wall. Its streets provided the setting for the start of the film’s magical adventure, which starred Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro.
In 2010, Castle Combe appeared in The Wolfman, a gothic horror starring Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins. The village’s medieval character and narrow lanes lent themselves perfectly to the film’s 19th-century setting.
Perhaps its most famous appearance came the following year, when Steven Spielberg chose Castle Combe for key scenes in War Horse. The First World War drama, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s novel, used the village to represent early-20th-century Devon.
More recently, Castle Combe has featured in the Apple TV+ spy drama Slow Horses, with the production team renaming the village “Upshott” for the series starring Gary Oldman.
For all its peaceful appearance, Castle Combe is also home to one of the West Country’s best-known motorsport venues. Castle Combe Circuit, built on the site of a former RAF airfield, has been welcoming drivers and spectators since 1950.
The track today hosts everything from car and bike racing to rally events and track days, attracting fans from across the UK.
When paying a visit, most tourists begin at the car park at the top of the hill and walk down into the village. From there, the bridge over the By Brook offers the classic postcard view – rows of stone cottages leading down to the water, with the wooded hills beyond. It is one of the most photographed spots in the Cotswolds.
In the centre you’ll find the Market Cross, St Andrew’s Church and a pair of traditional pubs. The Manor House Hotel, a grand country property with 365 acres of gardens and a golf course, adds a luxury option for those staying overnight.
Castle Combe is small, and part of its charm is its lack of commercialisation. There are no chains or large tourist outlets. Instead, locals sometimes sell cakes, flowers and sweets from outside their homes, with honesty boxes left for payment.
The village’s reputation as the “prettiest in England” is backed up by countless reviews from tourists. One described it as “a place that feels as though it has stepped straight out of a postcard,” while another said: “Every corner looks like it’s waiting for a film crew.”
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