Oh boy, do we love medieval villages which look like they’ve been taken out of a fairy tale!
About 5 miles (8 km) northwest of the town of Chippenham in Wiltshire, England, there is a village named after a 12th-century castle and by the looks of it, our next getaway location.
Castle Combe, a civil parish, and a tiny village with a population of about 350, is considered as one the most photographed places in England, and we totally understand why.
The village, which is regularly referred to as one of prettiest in England, has two parts: one in the narrow valley of the By Brook river, and another one on the higher ground to the east, known as the Upper Castle Combe.
The heyday of Castle Combe was during the 15th century when it belonged to Millicent, the wife of Sir Stephen Le Scrope and later of Sir John Fastolf, a Norfolk knight who was an effective manor for fifty years.
Sir John Fastolf promoted the woolen industry and recruited his own and other troops for the war of Henry V in France.
One of the landmarks in this adorable village is the 14th century market cross, established in the period when Castle Combe was granted the privilege to hold a weekly market.
Next to the market cross is one of the two village pumps. Near the cross there are small stone steps which used to help horse riders to mount and dismount.
The most notable house in Castle Combe is the Dower house, dating from the late 17th century.
The village increased its popularity since being portrayed as a fishing port in the 1967 filmed musical Doctor Dolittle, as well as being the key filming location for Steven Spielberg’s production of War Horse.
One of the most fascinating things about this place is that to this day, Castle Combe strictly bans any modern attachments to the exterior of the houses, including TV dishes and external wires.
This prohibition has provided the historic, medieval village to maintain its authentic picturesque appearance.