England's most beautiful villages to visit in 2022

Alfriston, East Sussex

If you’re in the South Downs National Park or exploring the Cuckmere Valley, be sure to call in at Alfriston, says Teresa Machan. “There’s a bristle of Cotswolds posh about it these days but don’t be put off. The thatch-and-timber Clergy House – the first building to be acquired by the National Trust, in 1896, for a purported £10 – dates back to the 14th century, there’s a lovely church and village green (the Tye), the obligatory Old English Inn, a Manor Garden and flower-filled patios in which to sip a loose-leaf tea. For the best scones in all of Sussex, head to The Singing Kettle.” 

Saltaire, West Yorkshire

This beautiful Victorian model village, built by the philanthropist Sir Titus Salt for his mill workers, is a designated Unesco World Heritage Site. Small terraced cottages cluster around the hulking Salts Mill (saltsmill.org.uk) which houses one of the world’s largest collections of Hockney artwork. The Saltaire United Reformed Church is one of Britain’s great Victorian architectural gems. There are also plenty of fabulous walks to take nearby in West Yorkshire, before finishing the day with a pint of bitter from the Saltaire Brewery. 

Higher Bockhampton, Dorset

Dorset has hundreds of tiny hamlets like Higher Bockhampton. Found deep in rural England, this pretty hamlet is full of tiny lanes and high hedges, and is surrounded by rolling hills. The village is where Thomas Hardy was born and where he penned his first five books, including Under the Greenwood Tree and Far from the Madding Crowd, which are all set in the surrounding area. Keep an eye out for his cottage, now a National Trust property (nationaltrust.org.uk/hardys-cottage).

Walberswick, Suffolk

The wooden bridge leading from the picturesque village of Walberswick to the beach is always crammed with children clutching crabbing lines and plastic buckets. Clamber over the ridge of dunes into the magical light of the Suffolk coast and you’ll understand why so many artists are drawn to paint this long, empty stretch of sandy beach.

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