A Cotswolds village has been described as akin to “stepping into a postcard”, with visitors praising its charming houses and serene river.

Bibury in Gloucestershire has even been called the “most beautiful village in England” by the artist and textile designer William Morris.

It attracts visitors from all over the world thanks to its delightful buildings, local trout farm and picturesque scenery.

The line of cottages of Arlington Row is the village’s most-photographed spot and the houses were originally built in 1380 as a monastic wool store, but were later converted into weavers’ cottages in the 17th century.

All those years ago, the cloth produced at Arlington Row was sent to the mill and hung on timber frames after being degreased. 

While most of the cottages are let to private tenants, visitors actually have the chance to stay in one of them, which is available as a holiday let. If you have a British passport, chances are you have seen the row of cottages before – as a colourful image of Arlington Row was printed inside all of those issued between 2010 and 2015.

Visitors to the village can also head to the Bibury Trout Farm, which was founded in 1902 and is one of the oldest in the country. Guests can watch the fish being fed and learn all about the life of a trout – as well as take in the ducks, swans, Kingfishers, geese and the rare water vole. The farm also sells fresh and smoked trout as well as a range of seafood, locally baked bread, and free range eggs and cheeses. 

One visitor to Bibury wrote on TripAdvisor that the village “is like stepping into a postcard”. They added: “The charming village, with its picturesque cottages and tranquil river, feels like a scene from a fairy tale. Wandering along Arlington Row, I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of the ancient stone buildings, their honey-coloured walls.”

Another visitor said: “A lovely little piece of old England, we visited at 10am on Saturday morning, it was already hard to park in the village, but the trout farm had 2 lovely car parks with a short walk back to the village and very reasonably priced!”

A third posted: “Bibury lived up to expectations. A beautiful, picturesque village. The river stream is tranquil, full of trout and smaller fish and foul. The two bridges are lovely, Arlington Row is the perfect picture spot.”

Visitors praised Arlington Row and the nature on offer, with one writing: “This will surely become your favourite place. Walk by the stunning river watching the ducks and swans and cross over the bridge to Arlington Row. Spend a few hours here and you will fall in love with it.”