10 Charming Villages in the UK That Feel Straight Out of a Film Set

Always ready for its close-up is Doune’s medieval castle, which has enjoyed a starring role in productions like Game of Thrones and Outlander. The village also offers a delightful array of stone buildings and riverside walks, while the Trossachs National Park, with its lochs, wooded hills and walking trails, is within easy reach.

Where to stay: Cromlix has the scale of a country estate but the detail of a carefully designed retreat. Immerse yourself in its richly coloured interiors, dine beneath the glass roof of The Glasshouse Restaurant, wander through woodland grounds and kitchen gardens, or lean into the estate spirit with tennis, falconry, croquet and time in the spa.

With its cobbled streets, handsome stone houses and independent shops, Askrigg has all the quintessential Dales ingredients. It also played James Herriot’s fictional Darrowby in the original All Creatures Great and Small, which explains why its lanes feel so instantly familiar.

Where to stay: Set within five private acres, the Grade II-listed Yorebridge House has just 12 distinctively styled rooms, inspired by everything from a Canadian ski lodge to a New York loft. The panoramic views and serious wine cellar add to the attraction.

Hambleton has all the ingredients of a classic English village: thatched roofs, winding lanes and warm sandstone houses. Yet the appeal is shaped just as strongly by what lies beyond its streets. The community sits on a peninsula in Rutland Water, one of Europe’s largest artificial lakes. Beyond the shore, sailing boats drift across the water and, if you are particularly fortunate, ospreys wheel overhead.

Where to stay: Hambleton Hall is country-house hospitality in its purest form. The grounds of this former Victorian hunting lodge run down to the water’s edge, while inside there are only 17 individually styled rooms. A particular draw is the Dining Room, holder of the UK’s longest-retained Michelin star.

Simply put, Medbourne is picture perfect. Better still, it delivers Cotswold-like charm without the crowds, with a stream running through the centre and ironstone cottages gathered along the banks. Visit in late spring and the gentle thwack of cricket on the green makes the whole scene even more immersive.

Where to stay: With its timeless elegance, grand interiors and picturesque open-air theatre, Kilworth House Hotel & Theatre elevates a simple countryside break into something far more memorable.

Set deep in the Chiltern Hills, Turville settles easily around its green. Flint cottages, the Bull & Butcher pub and St Mary’s Church sit below Cobstone Windmill, which keeps watch from the hill above. It also enjoys credits worthy of a seasoned character actor. Best known as Dibley in The Vicar of Dibley, Turville also served as a film location in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Killing Eve and Midsomer Murders, securing its reputation as one of England’s most recognisable screen villages.

Where to stay: Tucked beside Henley Bridge, just metres from the Thames, The Relais Henley is a reimagined 16^th-century coaching inn that pairs glorious river views with 40 rooms and suites, furnished in an English country style.

With timber-framed houses that tilt and bow along the streets, Lavenham is one of England’s best-preserved medieval villages. The magnificent Grade I listed ‘wool’ church only adds to the sense of scale and history. It will come as no surprise, then, to learn that it stood in for Godric’s Hollow in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Where to stay: The Swan at Lavenham keeps you inside the story, with period details, a boutique spa, a two AA Rosette restaurant and the luxury of stepping straight from breakfast onto one of Suffolk’s most distinctive streets.

Hailed as one of the most beautiful villages in the UK, Castle Combe is the place people immediately picture when they think of the Cotswolds. Set in a wooded valley, with narrow lanes and honey-coloured stone cottages, it has changed remarkably little over the centuries, with no new houses built in its centre since the 1600s. Unsurprisingly, it has caught the eye of many a location scout, appearing in everything from War Horse to Stardust.

Where to stay: Set in classic honey-hued stone, Calcot & Spa has the reassuring quality of a long-established country hotel, but inside the mood is quietly contemporary. After a day spent exploring, enjoy a massage in the spa or a soak in the outdoor hot tub in the lavender-lined courtyard.

Named after the ancient castle that has stood among the Purbeck Hills since the 11th century, this is one of Dorset’s loveliest villages. The ruined fortress, now cared for by the National Trust, remains its headline attraction, but the village itself more than holds its own. Built almost entirely from local grey Purbeck limestone, it has plenty of charm beyond the battlements.

Where to stay: On the banks of the River Frome in nearby Wareham, The Priory offers a peaceful counterpoint, with Grade II-listed character, individually designed rooms and four acres of English country gardens.

Penmaenpool may be small, but it’s perfectly formed. This quiet estuary village of stone cottages is best known for its famous Grade II-listed wooden toll bridge, with ancient oak forests stretching beyond.

Where to stay: Penmaenuchaf sits on a wooded hillside above the water, with characterful rooms, spectacular vistas and gardens made for slow, scenic wandering. Inside, bold colours, Welsh antiques and local craft details bring warmth and personality to this handsome Victorian house.

The final stop is St Aubin’s harbour, one of Jersey’s prettiest coastal corners. Its sea-facing terraces and old stone buildings already feel wonderfully atmospheric, but the Bergerac link makes it even more enticing. The Old Court House took on the role of The Royal Barge in the original TV series and returned in the latest adaptation.

Where to stay: One of the island’s best hotels, The Atlantic brings a touch of grown-up glamour to its wild west coast, with sweeping views over St Ouen’s Bay, ten acres of grounds and a 4 AA Rosette celebration of Jersey’s bountiful produce.