Brian and Jill Skarda have decided to leave Bibury, a village described as "the most beautiful village in England" by William Morris and the "world's most beautiful village" by Forbes, after 14 years of living there. The couple, who moved from Barnsley, say they have had enough of what they describe as "invasive tourism" in Arlington Row, a primary source of concern for them.
Writing in a column entitled Tales from the Riverbank for Village Life magazine, Mr Skarda criticised the behaviour of some visitors, saying he believed tourists are now encroaching too closely on locals' lives. He explained that while they had lived in the village for over 14 years, it is the five years since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic that have seen visitor behaviour change.
Changed behaviour since Covid
Mr Skarda said: "We have decided that we have had enough invasive tourism in Arlington Row...We have been here for over 14 years and noticed that since Covid, visitor behaviours have changed."
He added: "They have become more inconsiderate and the sheer numbers of tourists ...meant that, on occasions, we have virtually been unable to get out of our front door." Towards the conclusion of his column, Mr Skarda expressed his wish that Bibury might eventually "resolve its tourism issues", having bemoaned that the location was being "ruined by the very people who come to see it", reports the Independent.
Wider Cotswolds concerns
Mr Skarda is not the first Cotswolds resident to complain about the impact of tourism on daily life. In 2025, locals in Castle Combe voiced similar concerns. Like Bibury, Castle Combe has been used as a site for Hollywood projects such as Stardust, but the village, home to just 400 people, received an influx of over 100,000 tourists a year, a situation only exacerbated by drones.
The problem became so acute that it was reported people had put up signs asking visitors not to film with the devices in 2025. Hilary Baker, a retired police officer living in the village, told the Express that it was the presence of drone cameras that had prompted many people to leave the place entirely.
She said: "Give us a little bit of consideration. That's what caused everybody to go, 'This is now beyond reasonable.' Because our children are precious, you don't know who's on the other end of the camera. I'm not casting aspersions, but you just don't know anymore. It's out there in the ether before you can blink an eye. If only they would stop and think, 'How would I feel sat in my garden minding own business with a drone flying 20 feet above my head?'"
