The most Instagrammable villages in Britain for your next staycation

It’s the year of the staycation for most people, with travel restrictions still in place putting a halt to many holiday plans and other people simply feeling a little too nervous to go too far from home.

It’s also the year that cottagecore has really taken over our Instagram feeds, as people find beauty in nature and homely touches, which has spilled into our travel plans as well as our day-to-day.

When it comes to British beauty spots, there are loads to choose from, but Bankrate has made things a little easier with a research project looking at the destinations we hashtag most.

From their data, they’ve found the mosy Insta-friendly staycation locations in the UK, and they’re all stunning.

While summers past might have seen us posting pics of a suite in Mykonos or an infinity pool in Marbs, we’re all about the rolling hills and B&Bs this time around.

1. Clovelly, Devon

This Devon village got top spot, which is no surprise when you see the twee cobbled roads and winding, cliffside streets.

It is a surprise when you realise there are just two hotels and two pubs in the village, which shows that sometimes exclusivity and secludedness are what sell.

In Susan Coolidge’s In the High Valley, part of the Katy series, a walk into Clovelly is described: ‘A more extraordinary thing in the way of a street does not exist in the known world.

‘The little village is built on the sides of a crack in a tremendous cliff; the “street” is merely the bottom of the crack, into which the ingenuity of man has fitted a few stones, set slant-wise, with intersecting ridges on which the foot can catch as it goes slipping hopelessly down.’

2. Portmeirion, Wales

Portmeirion is known for pottery and The Prisoner (as the setting for the 1960s drama).

Despite being located in Gwynedd in Wales, you might feel like you were in Lake Como, as the village was designed to look like something in Italy.

The tourist village is in a postmodern style and makes a perfect spot for getting colourful shots for the ‘gram.

3. Castle Combe, Wiltshire

The Castle Combe motor racing circuit is no doubt a pull for some of the tourists who visited the location, but the views probably helped sell it too.

The village has seen crews come to use it as a family location for movies and shows such as War Horse, Dr Doolittle, and Downton Abbey.

4. Castleton, Derbyshire

This Peak District village dates back to as far back as the Domesday Book in 1086, and is the location of Peveril’s Castle.

Tourists can visit the local museum or any of the caverns in the area, staying at one of the many guest houses or pubs.

If you visit on 29 May you’ll also get to witness the traditional Garland Day, where a Garland King is paraded around the streets wearing an extremely large garland of flowers.

5. Grasmere, Lake District

Right in the heart of the Lake District, this village was the home of William Wordsworth who called Grasmere ‘the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.’

There’s plenty going on here throughout the year, from the annual Rushmere procession to the Grasmere Sports event featuring Cumberland wrestling and fell running.

The locally-made gingerbread is also a must-try.

6. Bourton-on-the-Water, The Cotswolds

Bourton-on-the-Water is known as Venice of the Cotswolds due to its extensive waterways that line the streets.

Despite only having just over 3,000 residents, around 300,000 people a year descend on the village to stay.

Most of the area is a nature reserve, meaning wildlife spotters and photographers have plenty to look at.

7. Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire

Head to the North Yorkshire Moors to see Robin Hood’s Bay right on the coast.

This former smuggler’s hotspot now gets by through tourism mostly, along with a little bit of fishing.

The village featured in the films Wild Child and Phantom Thread, as well as in scenes in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

8. Bamburgh, Northumberland

The award-winning beach in Bamburgh is sure to excite anyone heading for a staycation here, as well as the huge castle that’s features in countless novels and films.

There’s lots to do in the area memorialising Victorian seafaring heroine Grace Darling, as well as simply chilling by the seaside and walking in the country.

9. Bibury, The Cotswolds

Another Cotswolds village makes the cut here, with people clearly loving cottages and nature.

The Arlington Row cottages you see above are located in Bibury and are used in the British passport, drawing hundreds of visitors from the UK to see the cottages for themselves.

If you choose to visit, expect cute tea houses and pubs galore.

10. Corfe Castle, Dorset

Corfe Castle was a Saxon stronghold and Norman fortress, so definitely a staycation for any history buffs.

The Dorset village has an adorable model of itself from past years in the middle of the square, and you can visit the castle and other National Trust attractions along with taking walks and enjoying country pub pints.

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