Quiet rural escapes in Britain off the beaten path.
What are some less-touristed rural getaways in Britain, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Hatherleigh, a modest market town with a November carnival; Cocklake, a quiet hamlet on the Somerset Levels; and Gringley on the Hill, a small hilltop village with a medieval church. This page includes 15 options. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Bath, Manchester or York.
Hatherleigh
A modest market town in West Devon known for its November carnival, which features two flaming tar barrel runs, and a weekly livestock market that has served…
Felin-fach
This compact Welsh village in Powys near Brecon, where stone-and-render cottages line quiet lanes close to the upland country of the Brecon Beacons, with two…
Lifton
A tiny Devon village where two rivers meet near the Cornwall border, anchored by a handsome stone-built inn lining the quiet main street, with rolling upland…
Gringley on the Hill
This small Nottinghamshire village set on a hilltop ridge, where a substantial golden-stone medieval church with a battlemented tower rises above a well-kept…
West Coker
This Somerset village where thatched stone cottages and traditional pubs line a quiet country road, offering an authentic slice of rural English heritage wit…
West Chinnock
Stone cottages with thatched roofs line a quiet Somerset lane in this pocket-sized village, where flower-filled gardens, rolling green hills, and a heritage-…
Beguildy
A little Welsh village in Powys near the headwaters of the River Teme, with a 15th-century church screen and the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle…
Llandre
Compact Welsh village in Ceredigion's wooded valley country, with stone-walled cottages lining a quiet road beneath bare-treed hillsides, offering a peaceful…
Wookey
This Somerset village on the River Axe, just west of Wells, Wookey is often confused with its better-known neighbour Wookey Hole, home to the famous caves.
Great Witley
This red-brick Georgian manor house set among rolling Worcestershire farmland typifies this small village in the Malvern Hills District, where open arable fi…
Nether Compton
This small Dorset hamlet where a weathered stone church tower rises above honey-coloured walls and flowering lilac, offering a quiet lane-side walk through a…
Prees
A small Shropshire village close to the England–Wales border, where a battlemented stone church tower rises above a broad, tree-lined churchyard, offering a…
Cocklake
A quiet Somerset hamlet on the Somerset Levels, Cocklake sits within the historic Isle of Wedmore parish, where a traditional village pub and listed stone-an…
Upper Broadheath
A tiny hamlet in Worcestershire sitting right at the water's edge, with upland country close by and listed heritage architecture nearby, making it a quiet ba…
Sennybridge
A tiny upland hamlet in Wales sitting right at the water's edge, Sennybridge offers a rugged rural base for exploring the surrounding hills and the wider reg…
Rural getaways in Britain: quick answers
Which rural getaways in Britain can you visit on a day trip from Bath or Manchester?
Cocklake, West Chinnock and West Coker are among 7 rural getaways on our day trips from Bath. And Gringley on the Hill and Prees are among 2 rural getaways on our day trips from Manchester.
Which are the highest-rated?
3 are rated gold, including Cocklake, Beguildy and West Chinnock.
Which can you reach by train?
4 of the 15 have a railway station within a 10-minute drive, including Beguildy, Llandre, Prees and Nether Compton.