Tourists visiting Bibury, once dubbed the world's most beautiful village, will soon find themselves fenced in by a local authority fed up with them "doing what they want".
Bibury, in Gloucestershire, is considered the most picturesque village in the country, a title that can attract up to 20,000 foreign visitors per day. The tide of people far outpaces Bibury's tiny year-round population, which hovers around just 600 people, with more being driven out of the community every year due to the tourists' invasive presence.
Fences to protect river wildlife
The village's landscape has also suffered from the impact, with the local authority electing to install fences after visitors caused environmental issues by paddling in the River Coln, its local waterway.
Craig Chapman, the chair of Bibury Parish Council, which voted to install fences around the river, said the decision came as a "drastic measure" to protect swans, ducks, voles and fish. He told the BBC visitors had been "doing what they want" in the river, going as far as setting up tables and chairs in its depths.
He said: "In the hot weather over the summer tourists were sitting on the riverbank with their feet in the river, walking in the river and even setting up tables and chairs in the river."
"That's highly detrimental to the wildlife." The measure, Mr Chapman said, was "absolutely not what we want to do", but added it was necessary to protect the river ecosystem. He said: "It's a drastic measure, but it seems it's what we have to do to protect the environment around the River Coln."
Village charm and congestion
Bibury is known for its country charm, with weaver's cottages dispersed across the community, and this earned it the title of most beautiful village in the world when Forbes ran a list of stunning communities in 2025.
Its reputation had preceded the list by several hundred years, with noted designer William Morris famously declaring it the "most beautiful village in England" in the 19th century. Locals say the village's modern popularity and parade of visiting coaches is now in danger of becoming unsustainable.
The massive vehicles have a tendency of causing gridlock in its narrow country lanes, with some residents saying it has made life in the village "dangerous".
Kris Watts, 71, says life in picture-postcard Bibury has become increasingly difficult, and was outraged to see visitors paddling in the Coln. She said: "We've had people paddling in the river, which is a protected site because we've got water voles. You just think - for goodness sake."
Residents' concerns and trial measures
Gloucestershire County Council has introduced trial coach drop-off points in an attempt to tackle congestion, but residents claim some drivers are still stopping elsewhere in the village.
Kris, who has lived there for 10 years, said: "I don't go into the village at weekends now, it's that bad. We knew it was a touristy village when we moved here, but since covid it's just got worse and worse. A big part of it is social media influencers advertising how beautiful the village is."
Victoria Summerley, who has lived in Bibury for 14 years, added: "The Coln River is a trout stream. It's supposed to be a really clean river. The amount of litter that ends up in the river in terms of drinks, bottles, coffee cups and so on, just unbelievable."
