Most people have heard of The Archers, the world’s longest-running soap opera aired on the radio.
The show is set in Ambridge, a quintessentially English village where detached houses with thatched roofs bask in the sunshine, ales are sipped in the local brewhouse, and cricket is played on the nearby green.
Ambridge doesn’t, however, exist: it is a purely fictional creation conjured up by the BBC.
Many villages and towns have been touted as the inspiration for Ambridge, but one, about an hour away from Birmingham, reins supreme, a sleepy place called Inkberrow.
Named one of the UK’s prettiest towns, few will have heard of it, leading to its moniker of one of Britain’s best “hidden gems”.
Situated on the A422 between Worcester and Stratford upon Avon, Inkberrow has a population of around 2,000 people.
It boasts stunning views of Bredon Hill and the Malvern Hills, complete with footpaths that snake around the village itself.
These footpaths make for great ambling and hiking, and even horse-riding, given Inkberrow’s numerous bridleways.
While the BBC has never revealed whether Ambridge is based on Inkberrow, fans have pointed up the many similarities between the two.
One glaring connection, they say, can be found in Ambridge’s local pub, The Bull — a clear parallel of Inkberrow’s The Old Bull tavern.
New research from StressFreeCarRental.com names the village as one of the prettiest in all of the UK, alongside a dozen others, including East Budleigh in Devon and Grassington in North Yorkshire.
Inkberrow itself has been inhabited since at least the 8th and 9th centuries.
A castle was built between 1154 and 1216 which was later destroyed in 1233, though the faint outline of a moat remains which may be that of the castle.
Though many might be hoping to hedge their bets and make Inkberrow home, it won’t be cheap. Average house prices went for £512,222 in the last year, and a lack of amenities and public transport means locals have to travel a fair distance to get basic things like groceries.
There are other quaint towns and villages similar to Inkberrow which have also been listed as some of the prettiest in the UK.
Crovie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is a small coastal village made up of just a single street which hugs the sea’s edge.
Further south, in Solva, Wales, sweeping landscapes and exposed cliff faces can be taken in along the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park settlement, with colourful cottages which boast panoramic views to top things off.
In Gloucestershire, Broad Campden is set at the heart of the Cotswolds filled with thatched roof houses and cobbled streets, and surrounded by rolling countryside.
And the sweet market village of Hawkshead in Cumbria is another one of the UK’s prettiest settlements, featuring rows of white-washed houses, independent stores, boutiques and coffee shops
Inkberrow isn’t a cheap place to live, however, with average house prices going for £512,222 in the last year.
