Tourist crowds drive residents from ‘world’s most beautiful village’

Residents of Bibury, the British village named the “world’s most beautiful village” by Forbes, say tourist crowds are increasingly intruding on their daily lives, prompting some to move away.

Brian and Jill Skarda have decided to leave their home on Arlington Row in Bibury after more than 14 years, frustrated by visitors peering through windows, banging on doors and blocking their access.

Described as "the most beautiful village in England" by artist and designer William Morris in the 19th century, Bibury now attracts up to 20,000 visitors over a weekend.

In his final "Tales from the Riverbank" column for a local magazine, Skarda wrote: "We have decided that we have had enough of invasive tourism in Arlington Row, with door banging, window peeping and general interference in our private lives."

"They have become more inconsiderate and the sheer numbers of tourists this year have meant that, on occasions, we have virtually been unable to get out of our front door or move our car along the Row," The Independent quoted him as saying.

"The Row is always at the centre of tourist interest in the village and it seems that all of them want to take a ‘selfie’ or a photo, or video of themselves and their 14 friends somewhere along the Row. The poses that are struck and the efforts they go to seem more to do with themselves than the structure they have come to see!"

Tourism is also putting pressure on the village’s river and roads. Bibury Parish Council recently announced plans to fence off sections of the River Coln after visitors spent the summer paddling, swimming and even setting up deckchairs in the water.

Visitors have also been accused of building makeshift dams, leaving food waste and dumping dirty nappies, raising concerns for the river’s swans, ducks, fish and other wildlife.

Meanwhile, large tourist coaches regularly block the narrow lanes, with fears that the heavy vehicles are damaging the historic Swan Bridge. The parish council has commissioned Oxford Brookes University to assess how many tourists Bibury can accommodate.

Steve Morton, who runs a local Facebook group dedicated to the village's tourism and traffic problems, said the village’s international recognition had left it facing a difficult problem.

"The title 'world's most beautiful village' and being featured on U.K. Passports have created a monster that just doesn't have an easy solution," The Daily Mail quoted Morton as concluding.