Castle Combe; often named as the ‘Prettiest Village in England' :

Castle Combe, a Medieval Village and Civil Parish within Cotswolds area of outstanding natural beauty in Wiltshire, England.

The village has a rich history and the houses are made up of the honey coloured Cotswold stone, typical for a village of this area. The village takes its name from a Castle built on the hill to the north of the village in the 12th Century AD, of which little now remains except earthworks. No new homes have been built in historic area since 1600s AD.

During Middle Ages, village, along with much of the Cotswolds, enjoyed prosperity due to the growth of a thriving wool industry. Within Castle Combe you’ll find a Market Cross and St Andrew’s Church which dates from the 13th Century AD. The church houses a faceless clock which is reputed to be one of oldest working clocks in the country. Numerous weavers’ cottages were erected from local stone, and these ancient honey-hued buildings remain one of the village’s standout features today.

The village was known in particular for manufacturing a red and white cloth known as ‘Castlecombe’, which was renowned in the markets of Bristol, Cirencester, as well as London and abroad, and in 1440 AD, King Henry VI, granted Castle Combe the right to hold a weekly market, with the unmistakable Market Cross monument still standing proudly today.

Castle Combe strictly banned all modern attachments such as TV dishes and external wires to the exterior of its houses, restrictions that have been instrumental in helping the historic village to maintain its authentic appearance.

As a result, the village has become a popular location for film crews, with productions including the 1967 filmed musical Doctor Dolittle, Stardust and The Wolf Man all shot within the village. Castle Combe was a key filming location for Stephen Spielberg’s War Horse. To recreate a 1914 setting, the village’s tarmac through-road was closed and covered with a temporary muddy surface, its modern street lamps, signage and post boxes were either covered or removed altogether, and its white window frames were repainted with more muted colours.

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