A charming village has been named one of the most beautiful in the UK – but it is so small that it is home to just 403 people and is rarely visited by outsiders
A peaceful UK village is so tiny and hidden away so thoroughly that most tourists never spot it.
Nether Compton is tucked away down a lovely country lane in a small parish in Dorset, South West England. Tranquillity and beauty are not hard to find here. The bucolic place is home to only 403 people and is often voted one of the UK’s prettiest spots.
Yet this little haven, with its classic British scenery, doesn’t reel in tourists like the busy towns nearby. You can find the village just outside Yeovil, a lively town once important to the Romans that is now best known as a lower league football stronghold and for once producing a lot of the country’s gloves.
Although Nether Compton isnt as easy to get to, its full of rich history like its neighbours. Conde Nast Traveller placed the village fourth in a top 20 list of beautiful communities in England and Ireland, showering it with praise for the way it stands out from the surrounding landscape, reports the Express.
The magazine also complimented the way in which it is “hidden down a lane that doesn’t take you anywhere else”. Its location brings an “air of immense calm” to Nether Compton. That said, the village hasn’t always been so quiet.
The town suffered a brutal attack almost a thousand years ago by William the Conqueror during his conquest of England. Back in 1066, troops loyal to the then Duke of Normandy burnt the town almost to the ground. Some of those which survived the blaze remain standing to this day.
In particular, St Nicholas church, the village’s main place of worship, has parts that were built before 1066. It has 900-year-old graffiti on one of its walls. There are also lots of old houses with straw roofs, one of which has been converted into a pub called the Griffin’s Head Inn that was built in the 1500s.
“This unspoilt village has an exceptionally pretty main street with many period houses and cottages against a backdrop of this magnificent church, sandstone elevations reflecting a honeyed glow in the light of the sun,” Lodestone Life writes of Nether Compton.
“The immaculate village green sits in the centre, next to the parish church, home to the summer fete and famous for its sheep racing competition! There are numerous walks from the village allowing you to take in the beautiful countryside, one of which takes you to the nearby town of Sherborne.”
Even though Nether Compton is small, some famous people have lived there. Actor Dame Kristin Scott Thomas was born there with her sister Serena Scott Thomas. Harald Penrose, a renowned test pilot and ship designer, lived in Nether Compton for 50 years. He built his own house and lived there until he died at the age of 92 in 1996.
If you fancy a trip to a beautiful part of the UK but the idea of stopping by Nether Compton doesn’t float your boat, then Bangor in North Wales with its beautiful Victorian pier may float do so. Otherwise Tyneside – filled as it is with elegant architecture, great eateries and beautiful coastline – is a great spot for a day trip.
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