‘Bikini dips & public weeing’…tourist hell in UK’s ‘most beautiful village’ where visitors outnumber locals 16-to-one

WITH honey-coloured stone cottages lining picture-perfect lanes, it’s the idyllic village that’s the very definition of English rural charm. But locals say the quaint fairy-tale paradise – crowned the “most beautiful in the world” last year – has turned into “Disneyland”, overrun with as many as 10,000 tourists a DAY flocking to the village of just 600. The charming village has been named the ‘most beautiful’ in the UK Credit: Getty The village has been flooded by tourists inspired by TikTok and Instagram Credit: TikTok And with the massive influx – fuelled by Instagram and TikTok travel influencers desperate for “hidden gem” content – comes bad, even stomach-churning behaviour, furious locals claim. Some rowdy visitors to the Cotswolds idyll have been caught in very public screaming matches, taking part in scantily-clad river dips – and even weeing on garden walls, it’s alleged. Residents say swarms of tourists descend each weekend, influenced by wildly popular posts on TikTok and Instagram that “distort the reality” of the little village of Bibury, Gloucestershire. Fed up, they fear their picturesque “one-horse town” will lose its charm for good as disrespectful tourists run riot. With the crowds come cars that have clogged up the narrow lanes, overwhelmed local parking facilities and resulted in road-rage rows, residents say. And if not arriving by car, vast coaches are squeezing down the quaint roads bussing in tourists in their dozens, adding to the congestion. Phil Challinor, who has lived in the hamlet for 45 years, is anxious about the future of the village as he fears over-tourism will push locals away. He says: “The community is being eroded. We desperately need social housing so people can afford to live here.” Crowds of tourists have been accused of swamping the town Credit: Marc Giddings Locals are fed up, claiming tourists engage in shouting matches over parking Credit: Marc Giddings Up to 10,000 visitors arrive on weekends to the village of 600 Credit: Marc Giddings Locals fear damage to the town’s historic bridge Credit: Marc Giddings Phil claims that because coaches only stop for an average of 20 minutes, visitors leave after taking a few photographs rather than spending money in the small number of shops and cafes. Swans gliding up and down the river have allegedly even had to compete for space with tourists. Phil adds: “People sitting in the middle of the river in a deckchair in bikinis, with bottles of champagne, is not exactly good for the wildlife.” Bibury, most famous for its strip of 17th century cottages in Arlington Row, was named by Forbes Magazine as the most beautiful village in the world last year. Locals have said parking is one of the biggest problems Credit: Marc Giddings Phil Challinor is anxious for the future of the village he has lived in for 45 years Credit: Marc Giddings But Parish council chairman Craig Chapman says that although the village’s splendour is not lost on him, the title is “ludicrous”. He says a lot of people visited after seeing posts on social media, some of which were factually wrong or edited to make the village seem perfect, adding: “The hype distorts the reality.” TikToks and Instagram posts that show how to spend a day in the village are racking up hundreds of thousands of likes, with one Instagram reel of The Swan Hotel on the local River Coln currently sitting at 6.1million views alone. Craig also suspects that the ancient Swan Bridge in the centre of the village may have been seriously weakened because large coaches had to cross it to enter and exit the village. The local authorities have been trying to ease the traffic problems, with Gloucestershire County Council replacing bus bays next to the bridge with a drop-off zone, to try to improve safety. Tourists take photos in Bibury Credit: Marc Giddings Local Cllr Craig Chapman is worried Swan Bridge is in danger of collapsing due to over tourism Credit: Marc Giddings Cotswold District Council has just turned down plans to convert a barn in Ablington Lane into a cafe and retail space intended to increase facilities for visitors to Bibury Trout Farm after more than 100 people objected. Michelle Follett-Holt, chair of trustees of Bibury Heritage, says: “Every day damage occurs due to the sheer volume of vehicles coming in and out. “The village is under stress physically and the community is too. “It’s about trying to protect the whole community. This little rural village is being treated like Disneyland. “We have four retail outlets and we get 10,000 people visiting over a weekend.” Resident Mark Honeyball says some tourists behaved outrageously: “I had one of them pee against my garden wall last weekend. They had parked on double yellow lines and I’d asked them not to. “The parents then got one of their kids to pee against the wall. Some tourists just don’t respect the villagers or the place that they’ve come to. To treat it like that is just disgusting.” Mark added that villagers were increasingly losing their temper in Bibury as a result of traffic congestion and the impact it was having on their community. “People are having shouting matches with coach drivers and tourists”, he says. When The Sun visited on a weekday, we found hundreds of tourists in the village before 10am, with the free parking spaces in the centre all taken. Pedestrians competed with each other, and cars and buses, for space on the narrow roads and pavements. Dozens flocked straight to Arlington Row, taking selfies or getting their partners to capture the moment as they posed by a front door of one of the famous cottages. TikTok and Instagram posts on Bibury wrack up millions of views Credit: tiktok The town is heavily promoted online by influencers Credit: tiktok Locals say up to 10,000 people can show up over a single weekend Credit: tiktok One post shows off the ‘reality’ of the village Credit: tiktok Italian couple Annarita Stefenalle and Sargeo Mele were enjoying the view. Annarita said: “We came because we saw it on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. It’s maybe smaller than I thought but it’s full of character and history.” Londoners Vishal and Piya Hirani were all smiles as they checked out the cottages, although given the hot weather, Vishal said: “Everything is dry. It was green on Instagram.” Cllr Roger Whyborn, cabinet member for sustainable transport and road safety for Gloucestershire Council, said: “We introduced the new coach drop-off points following extensive work with local residents, businesses and coach operators, with safety being our overriding priority. “It is very disappointing to see reports that some coach drivers are continuing to drop passengers off elsewhere in the village rather than using the designated facilities. The drop-off points are there to help reduce congestion and improve safety for residents, visitors and all road users. “We work closely with coach operators on arrangements for tourist hotspots such as Bibury and expect drivers to use the designated facilities provided. “We are also continuing to review longer-term options for managing traffic and coach movements in the village, including Swan Bridge. Inspections and assessments of the bridge are ongoing. “We remain committed to finding solutions that improve safety while supporting residents, businesses and visitors. We will continue to keep local people informed as this work progresses.” The Sun has contacted TikTok and Instagram for comments.