Two residents of the village of Bibury, Gloucestershire, are taking matters into their own hands after becoming fed up with a change in tourists’ behaviour after the Covid-19 pandemic
11:22, 07 Oct 2026Updated 12:17, 07 Oct 2026
A couple say they are leaving Bibury after a major change post-Covid pandemic (stock)(Image: Getty)
A couple who live in one of the UK’s most beautiful villages, located in the Cotswolds, have announced their plans to leave after a major change in the area following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brian and Jill Skarda have decided to leave the village of Bibury, Gloucestershire, a place named “the most beautiful village in England” by William Morris, due to the worsening behaviour of visitors.
Brian and Jill originally moved to Bibury, which was also branded the “world’s most beautiful village” by Forbes last year, that lies along the River Coln, from Barnsley. During their time in the area, they joined the parish council and became part of everyday life.
Writing in the Village Life magazine in a column known as Tales from the Riverbank, Mr Skarda admitted “we have had enough invasive tourism”.
Mr Skarda, who highlighted Arlington Row as a key point of issue, explained that he felt tourists are now getting too up close and personal with locals, so much so they had been finding it harder to go about their own lives.
He explained: “We have decided that we have had enough invasive tourism in Arlington Row…We have been here for over 14 years and noticed that since Covid, visitor behaviours have changed.
“They have become more inconsiderate and the sheer numbers of tourists …meant that, on occasions, we have virtually been unable to get out of our front door.”
In the latter part of his column, the Independent reported that Mr Skarda said he hoped that Bibury would one day “resolve its tourism issues” after complaining the area was being “ruined by the very people who come to see it”.
When it comes to Bibury, Mr Skarda isn’t the only person to have taken issue with the seasonal influx of tourists.
Speaking to the Independent, parish council chairman Craig Chapman said overtourism was having an impact on the local environment too.
He added: “Over the summer with the hot weather, people would not just sit on the river bank but would go in the water and even bring chairs in to sit on to cool down.
“The main concern is the wildlife, but also the whole area with people using it like it is a recreational area. When they go into the water they can upset the habitat.”
So great are the concerns about the impact on Bibury’s environment that last month, they announced they were going to put up fences around the river to stop people paddling in it.
Mr Skarda’s and Mr Chapman’s remarks about the village comes as debate grows about the impact of overtourism in places like Bibury and Castle Combe.
Every year, thousands of people from all over the world and the UK flock to these aesthetically pleasing places, many of which they have seen in films, to admire them.
Whilst these visits can be good for the local economy, locals are often caught in the crossfire.
The exterior of the hotel doesn’t betray the maze of the building which saw me go down stairs, up stairs and through courtyards to find my tucked away room.
Bold pattern wallpapers and vintage furniture were offset by brushed brass lights and DAB radios.
My king-size bed was deliciously sink-into-able, while the lounge area was the best spot for a cup of tea and a biscuit, all complimentary.
The larger rooms – I was staying in their Junior Suite – have roll top baths, so you better believe I hopped straight in, making the most of the free Verbon toiletries.
It even has a tiny outdoor patio and table and chairs for you to have a coffee in the warmer months.
If you’re on a budget, opt for their Cosy Rooms which are more compact but just as gorgeous. Rooms start from £125 a night. See thegeorgeinrye.com.
The rooms are beautifully designed, with floral accents throughoutThe restaurant’s deep red walls made it a cosy place to spend an evening
What is there to eat and drink?
The restaurant is a must, even if you aren’t a guest at the hotel.
The Grill is the epitome of cosiness with deep red walls, low lighting and the perfect level of lo-do music.
And it has a delightfully concise menu – I hate having too many options.
My smoked salmon salsa to start was refreshingly zingy and fresh, and just light enough to line my stomach before devouring their rib eye steak.
My dessert was the star of the show, with super sweet macerated strawberries offset by kalamata ice cream and marshmallow.
If you want to swap the pudding for a cocktail, The Dragon Bar has a great menu which also includes wines and beers.
Try the drink of the season – a Sarti Spritz – or my favourite, the aptly named Dragon Mojito.
(Come back for breakfast too – my Mimosa and Hastings Kipper went down a treat).
Why not grab a drink in the lobby by the fire?Or try a cocktail or two at Dragon Bar
What else is there?
As tempting as it is to stay at the hotel, the town of Rye needs to be explored.
Grab a decadent hot chocolate from Knoops, before walking the cobbles paths of Mermaid Lane, which look straight out of a fairytale.
Beach days aren’t far away either, with Camber Sands beach just down the road too.
Is it family friendly?
The hotel has some rooms that are perfect for kids, with the Luxury Rooms and Junior Suites able to fit kids beds
Is it accessible?
There is an accessible room which can be accessed by the ground floor lift, which can also take you to the ballroom.
However being such an old building, there may be some issues with getting around the rest of the hotel.
After a roasting hot summer during which a trip to the beach to escape the heat was top of everyone’s agenda, Rosaleen Fenton made an autumnal visit to one of the country’s most popular seaside towns
08:41, 30 Sep 2026Updated 08:54, 30 Sep 2026
Rosaleen whizzed down to St Ives on a GWR train
A summer trip to Cornwall can often feel like a battle against the crowds. With thousands of visitors packing into its narrow lanes, navigating St Ives during peak season can make you feel like you are trapped in an endless queue – albeit one with access to delicious Cornish pasties roughly every five feet.
But as the schools reopen their doors, the town quietens down and begins to feel like a place reclaimed by its residents. I had been told September is the best time to visit, so I gave it a go, my mum and I hopping on a Great Western Railway (GWR) train from London Paddington, hoping for a glorious, slightly calmer seaside weekend.
Our journey took on a mythical feeling as we headed further west. GWR has recently revived its Line to Legend Land storybook, a century-old set of promotional travel pamphlets and books that encourage passengers to explore the scenic regions by train. It is packed with South West folklore and retellings, and now a new tale by former Children’s Laureate Sir Michael Morpurgo.
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The railway has installed five life-sized statues of these legendary figures across the network. Stepping onto the platform at St Ives, you were greeted by the famous mermaid of Zennor – which celebrates the legend of a local chorister lured beneath the waves. Reading about a coastline teeming with mythical creatures while watching Carbis Bay slide past your window felt like the perfect way to leave a busy working week behind.
Our home for the weekend was Tregenna Castle Resort, perched high on a hill and offering one of the most breathtaking views in the West Country – and not one I tire of looking at.
These stone walls have seen a lot of history. Built in 1774 as a grand private home, it was later purchased by GWR as an exclusive hotel. Today, the 72-acre estate is a dream for holidaymakers. Situated amidst lush ground, it boasts indoor and outdoor pools, woodland walks, a nine-hole golf course, and courts for tennis, badminton and pickleball.
Then there is the food, which deserves its own spotlight. We dined at the Godrevy View Restaurant, named after the distant lighthouse said to have inspired Virginia Woolf. The ever-changing menu is far superior to standard hotel fare. We begin with a beautifully arranged, nicely seasoned tomato salad served with Thai basil whipped ricotta, watermelon, ponzu and chervil (£11). For main, an 8oz fillet steak is generous, served alongside fondant potatoes, carrot puree, asparagus and baby beets.
On Sunday, we enjoyed roast beef, cooked to perfection, with all the trimmings, including Yorkshire puddings hiding a decadent treat within – a small dollop of braised beef swimming in rich jus. My daily routine quickly settled into gluttony – a delicious fry-up for breakfast, a rich chocolate brownie for dessert – an extremely pleasant way to start and finish every day.
While the town, which has a stand-out independent shopping scene and was named the UK’s prettiest seaside town just this week, is calmer in September than the summer holiday months, the streets still felt substantially fuller than you’d expect from a place of 11,000 people. A great energy, but the bustling made me yearn to return to the sublime peace of Tregenna Castle, just 15-minutes away.
With our visit coming just days after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was in favour of a ‘tourist tax’ for Cornwall, the topic of overtourism was top of my mind. It’s fair to say business owners in the area remain divided on the topic, but for me, the benefits are easy to see. St Ives records more than 220,000 overnight stays annually, meaning it could bring in over £1,000,000 a year – a lifeline for a town where social issues are pressing, despite its well-to-do reputation. There’s a foodbank here, and a lot of young people who can’t survive in a property market where 15% of homes are second ones.
Chatting with locals, many said they no longer live in St Ives itself, preferring nearby Penzance, where they have room to breathe, cheaper homes, and not every shop sells clotted cream fudge.
Yet as a visitor, I can see why those in the industry are wary of scaring anyone off. It’s clear how holidaymakers pour vital cash into the local economy through independent shops, galleries and restaurants. Last year Jon Hyatt, who chairs Visit Cornwall, said he was “against any charge that might put visitors off”.
It’d be a terrible shame if they were, given how much there is to enjoy, from frolicking in the waves of Porthmeor Beach and peering off the side of Smeaton’s Pier, to touring the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Unsure of what to take on next, my travel companion tried using an AI bot to plan a fun day out for us. Unsurprisingly, technology failed us with the app repeatedly instructing us to catch a bus route that hasn’t existed for over two years. Abandoning our future robot overlords, we turned to a friendly member of hotel staff instead, who pointed us straight toward Tate St Ives – a far superior mode of recommendation.
Opened in 1992 on a cliff overlooking Porthmeor Beach, the displays change regularly. We caught an exhibition by Halima Cassell, whose intricate geometric sculptures play beautifully with light and shadow. Outside, it feels as if her artwork was continuing, a rainbow appearing over the beach, ending atop the RNLI flag.
Afterward, we walked a stretch of the South West Coast Path and enjoyed the brutally beautiful landscape, with the rhythm of the waves calming our frazzled nerves. As a special treat, we returned to London on GWR’s overnight Night Riviera Sleeper service.
I slept blissfully after a trip to the glorious buffet bar, where you can enjoy a free hot chocolate, before heading to slumber in a carriage. Getting onto the top bunk is no trouble, with a smart fold-away ladder showing how cleverly designed this small cabin is.
We arrived back in London just after 5am, though passengers can stay on board until closer to 7am. Breakfast is delivered (for me, a bacon roll) alongside piping hot coffee – which gives me the strength to start my day back in London, where I mourn the glorious coastline I left behind.
Book it
Tregenna Castle Resort, Treloyan Avnue, St Ives. Rooms and luxury self-catering lodges available. Visit tregenna-castle.co.uk
GWR operates regular services from London Paddington. To travel in a sleeper cabin on the Night Riviera, you need to purchase a regular train ticket, plus a supplement for the cabin. For the best deals, book up to three months in advance. Book at GWR.com.
Timed entry tickets to Tate St Ives on Porthmeor Beach cost £14 (£1.50 extra with a voluntary donation), though locals can get unlimited all-year entry for £10. Book in advance at tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives.
