In Wiltshire, in the Cotswolds Area, there is a tiny village called Castle Combe, which attracts roughly 150,000 visitors every year. Despite its name, it has no castle, and the villagers, who number 326, seem to wish they had a fortress and moat to keep out the visitors.
The village is surrounded by beautiful forests, and the summer sun shines bright, lighting up the surroundings with its golden rays. However, the tension between visitors and residents flares up, especially in the peak summer months, with locals complaining about intrusive tourists.
According to the report, the rules for visiting Castle Combe are strict, with visitors advised not to drive into the lower village and to walk the 10 minutes down the hill to the cottages and bridge. Coaches and large groups must stick to the main car park and stay out of the village centre.
The walk to the village is beautiful, and it opens up to a stunning moment when you first lay eyes on Castle Combe, once voted England’s most beautiful village. However, the villagers have been known to come home to find tourists having tea in their gardens, which has led to a sense of unease among the residents.
Over-Tourism in the Cotswolds
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Castle Combe is not the only village in the Cotswolds that is struggling with over-tourism. Other villages, such as Bourton-on-the-Water and Bibury, are also feeling the strain, with hordes of tourists crowding the cafes and peering through the windows of the 14th-century cottages at Arlington Row.
The National Trust has posted a plea on its website, reminding visitors that the cottages on Arlington Row are homes and asking them not to knock on the doors or peer through the windows, disturbing people in their own homes.
A writer who visited the Cotswolds notes that these villages have already been discovered, but they were looking for a village that was on its way to being discovered. They headed to Malmesbury, a market town dating back to medieval times, to meet with David Andrews, CEO of Visit Wiltshire, and Whit Hanks, a Texan who bought the oldest hotel in town, the Old Bell Hotel, five years ago.
Whit Hanks has grand expansion plans, including building a destination resort, spa, and wellness centre. He believes that adding a spa will make the Old Bell Hotel more attractive to visitors, just like it did for his other property, Camp Lucy, in Texas.
So far, Whit has bought 15 properties in the town, including a butcher shop, six townhouses, and Abbey House Manor, which comes with its own story. The manor dates back to the 12th century and was once part of the grounds of a Benedictine monastery where monks grew medicinal herbs.
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Abbey House Manor was also known for its “Naked Gardens”, where the owners, Ian and Barbara Pollard, famously gardened in the nude and opened the grounds to fellow naturalists to do the same. The five-acre gardens are still lovely to walk through, although they haven’t been tended as carefully since the Pollards passed away.
Whit’s plans for Malmesbury include building a car park within the grounds of the Manor, but he is facing regulatory issues due to the discovery of dead and buried bodies in the grounds.
David Andrews discussed England’s Great West Way, an initiative of Visit Wiltshire, which involves a 500-mile route between London and Bristol. The route includes navigable ancient pathways, inviting visitors to discover various destinations by bike, boat, foot, rail, or car.
Slow Travel and Destination-Building
The writer notes the contrast between the concept of slow travel and destination-building, as seen in Malmesbury, where Whit Hanks is concentrating resources and attractions in a specific area to create a unique experience.