A picture perfect Cotswolds village has been crowned the most beautiful on earth – but its 600 residents are less than delighted about the title.
Bibury, in Gloucestershire, topped the ranking of the 50 most beautiful villages in the world recently released by Forbes Magazine.
Its prose became positively purple as it waxed lyrical about the quaint parish, just north of Cirencester.
‘Bibury unfurls like a watercolour dream – where honey-slicked cottages line Arlington Row; their mossy roofs whispering tales of 14th-century weavers,’ it wrote.
The village, a historic centre for the wool trade which dates back to the Iron Age, beat out some formidable competitors to win the business magazine’s title.
Even Oia, on the whitewashed island of Santorini, Greece, or, further afield, Boquete, in the Panamanian mountains, for instance, were no match for its Cotswolds charm.
But residents, instead of being pleased, are rather dismayed – as the win promises to exacerbate Bibury’s already enormous problem with over-tourism.
Parish council chairman Craig Chapman grimly told the BBC: ‘It’s completely a double-edged sword.’
Bibury (pictured, file photo), in Gloucestershire, topped the ranking of the 50 most beautiful villages in the world recently released by Forbes Magazine
Its prose became positively purple as it waxed lyrical about the quaint parish (pictured, file photo), just north of Cirencester
The village (pictured, file photo), a historic centre for the wool trade which dates back to the Iron Age, beat out some formidable competitors to win the business magazine’s title
In a single weekend at the height of summer, the picturesque village can see as many as around 20,000 visitors – more than 30 times its ordinary population.
Restrictions have been introduced throughout this year to try to curb the impact of footfall on the historic village.
Parking bays in the square have been replaced with drop-off and pick-up points for the endless stream of coach trips that hits Bibury every day in peak season.
And last month, tourists were advised to drive to the village in smaller vehicles to ease traffic in its winding country lanes.
Mr Chapman called this level of tourism ‘problematic’ – and said it comes ‘at a cost for locals’.
The main problem, he explained, is the principal route into the village is a narrow B-road, with only one, single-carriage bridge across the River Coln, which Bibury sits on.
Congestion, especially from large coach trips, he said, is a massive issue, with up to 50 such vehicles parking in the village each day.
The new tourism rules are helping to restore balance, he explained – and will hopefully see Bibury well on the way to ‘harmony’ between tourists and locals.
Even Oia (pictured, file photo), on the whitewashed island of Santorini, Greece, or, further afield, Boquete, in the Panamanian mountains, for instance, were no match for its Cotswolds charm
But residents, instead of being pleased, are rather dismayed – as the win promises to exacerbate Bibury’s already enormous problem with over-tourism (pictured)
In a single weekend at the height of summer, the picturesque village (pictured) can see as many as around 20,000 visitors – more than 30 times its ordinary population
Restrictions have been introduced throughout this year to try to curb the impact of footfall on the historic village (pictured)
But it also may simply now have even more challenges in store with its recently expanded international recognition.
Mr Chapman said: ‘I’m fairly flabbergasted, having travelled the world, to believe we’re the most attractive village in the world.
‘It’s a great honour but it’s a little bit of a surprise, there’s a lot of competition out there.’
It comes after over-tourism in Bibury appears to have gotten particularly bad in recent years, especially on Bank Holidays and over the summer.
Locals claim it can sometimes now become like the Wild West, with cars and coaches bringing thousands of people into the tiny community.
The increase in visitors is partly driven by influencers promoting such tiny villages as perfect day trip destinations from big cities such as London on social media.
In fact, selfie-hunting tourists have previously been pictured climbing over walls and vaulting garden fences in Bibury in a bid to get the perfect picture.
And it appears the behaviour of a minority of visitors leaves much to be desired, with some getting unsociably close to people’s houses to snap their dream shot.
Parking bays in the square have been replaced with drop-off and pick-up points for the endless stream of coach trips that hits Bibury (pictured) every day in peak season
And last month, tourists were advised to drive to the village (pictured) in smaller vehicles to ease traffic in its winding country lanes
Congestion, especially from large coach trips, is a massive issue, with up to 50 such vehicles parking in the village (pictured) each day
Over-tourism in Bibury (pictured, file photo) appears to have gotten particularly bad in recent years, especially on Bank Holidays and over the summer
Earlier this year, after Bibury villagers called for action and formed a working group including councillors and the police, Gloucestershire County Council announced plans to tackle the problem.
Coaches could, in the long term, be banned from stopping and parking in the village – although less drastic measures have been adopted initially.
The layout of parking bays have been changed to stop coaches from parking or waiting in the layby on the B4425, next to the Swan Bridge in the village centre.
The council is also exploring introducing more restrictions on coach access to the centre of the village, consulting with villagers on the matter.
Longer-term recommendations from the working group include looking into prohibiting coaches from stopping and parking in Bibury completely and improving signs to direct them away from its narrow lanes.
The group wants to see if there might be areas outside of the village where coaches could park.
It also wants to encourage tourists to use other ways of visiting Bibury, such as walking, cycling, using public transport or minibuses.
Councillor Stephen Davies, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: ‘We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of Bibury residents and visitors.
Locals claim it can sometimes now become like the Wild West, with cars and coaches bringing thousands of people into the tiny community (pictured)
The increase in visitors (pictured) is partly driven by influencers promoting such tiny villages as perfect day trip destinations from big cities such as London on social media
In fact, selfie-hunting tourists have previously been pictured climbing over walls and vaulting garden fences in Bibury (pictured) in a bid to get the perfect picture
It appears the behaviour of a minority of visitors leaves much to be desired, with some getting unsociably close to people’s houses to snap their dream shot (pictured)
Coaches could, in the long term, be banned from stopping and parking in the village (pictured, file photo)
‘The proposed measures will help manage traffic more effectively and enhance the overall experience for everyone.
‘We appreciate the community’s support and cooperation as we implement these changes.
‘We also understand that these proposals may not be popular with coach operators, however we are determined to work to find a solution for coach tourists to be able to visit Bibury but this will take time.
‘Therefore, we have attempted to find compromise solutions that offer outcomes which continue to welcome visitors in a managed way, whilst also addressing safety and congestion concerns of the village.’
Coaches have already been banned from the centre of nearby Bourton-on-the-Water, dubbed the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’, because of similar issues to those in Bibury.
The council is also urging visitors to park responsibly and use designated parking areas.
‘Irresponsible parking not only endangers others but also detracts from the charm and accessibility of this historic village,’ a council spokesman said.
‘Any vehicles not parked in compliance with parking restrictions will risk being issued with a parking penalty charge notice.’