Britain's tiniest villages with disproportionate fame

Some of Britain's most-visited villages have populations under 1,000: Goathland (population 438, but TV-famous as Aidensfield in Heartbeat and the Hogwarts setting for several films), Castle Combe (350), Bourton-on-the-Water (3,300 but somehow always small), Tobermory on Mull (700), and the tied cottages of Polperro in Cornwall. A grand tour takes a week.

Places in this guide

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Towns & cities · Yorkshire & the Humber

Goathland

Goathland — village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England.

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Reservoirs & lochs · North West England

Tarn Hows

Tarn Hows — lake in the United Kingdom.

🐕↗ nationaltrust.org.uk

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Natural landmarks · North West England

Grasmere

Grasmere — lake in Cumbria, England.

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Towns & cities · North West England

Hawkshead

Hawkshead — village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, UK.

↗ hawkshead-village.co.uk

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Islands · Scottish Highlands

Staffa

Staffa — island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK.

🐕↗ nts.org.uk