Bibury has been named on a list of the “world’s 50 most beautiful villages”, but locals say its popularity has led to an unmanageable influx of tourists.
The small Cotswolds village is famous for its row of 17th-century weavers’ cottages and charming water meadow.
Once described by William Morris as “the most beautiful village in England”, it often welcomes visitors looking to snap pictures of its attractive surroundings.
Now, Bibury has had its title upgraded, as Forbes magazine unveiled a list of the most beautiful villages in the world – with Bibury right at the top.
The village’s golden-hued cottages and tranquil River Coln were cited as reasons for its victory.
However, Craig Chapman, chair of Bibury Parish Council, said that the achievement is a “double-edged sword” as the amount of tourism the village attracts was “problematic” and comes “at a cost for locals”.
He told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: “I’m fairly flabbergasted, having travelled the world, to believe we’re the most attractive village in the world.
“It’s a great honour, but it’s a little bit of a surprise; there’s a lot of competition out there.”
Other villages on the list include Oia on the Greek island of Santorini and Hallstatt in Austria. Both also struggle with overtourism as a result of their popularity.
Bibury only has a population of around 600-700 people, but sees up to 20,000 visitors on weekends and has run into issues involving coach traffic, queues of visitors and tourists climbing over private walls to snap pictures.
“It’s completely a double-edged sword,” Mr Chapman told the BBC.
“The issue is very much about the mechanisms whereby people come to the village and when they come here, how they behave, where they park.
“The reality is we sit on a B-road. The road is narrow, there’s one bridge across the River Coln, which is only wide enough for one vehicle.
“We’ve suffered greatly from congestion, particularly from the larger coaches.”
Locals have complained about emergency services struggling to move through traffic and illegally parked tourists.
One resident claimed a Range Rover drove over his foot during a parking dispute.
Last month, a county council leader asked tourists to use smaller vehicles when visiting the village, with restrictions on coach access also introduced in May.
Mr Chapman said there needs to be “harmony” between tourists and local visitors, and said the restrictions were helping.
The Independent has contacted Bibury Parish Council for further comment.
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