The Potteries has plenty of pretty villages up its sleeve, from the lovely Barton-under-Needwood and Butterton in the Peak District National Park, to the fetching BarlastonThe beautiful village of Ilam in the Peak District(Image: Getty Images/Graham Custance)The prettiest village in Staffordshire has been named.When it comes to easy-on-the-eye villages, the Potteries have a lot going for them.There is, of course, the lovely Barton-under-Needwood. Located in the east, this village is packed with history. It boasts over 40 Grade II-listed buildings, a beautiful marina, and lovely independent shops.Butterton is another classic, nestled as it is within the Peak District National Park. It is famous for its charming sandstone cottages, historic church spire, and a picturesque ford where the road crosses the River Manifold.Barlaston may also be near the top of your personal list. Situated just five miles from Stoke-on-Trent, this quaint settlement has a traditional English village feel. It sits right beside the World of Wedgwood, combining rural beauty with world-famous pottery heritage.Ilam in the Peak District is a beautiful village(Image: Google)However, none of these have been placed at the top of the pretty pile.”If you’re seeking lush English landscape and a dash of alpine flair in Staffordshire, look no further than Ilam. In the 19th century, the owner of Ilam Hall commissioned architect Sir George Gilbert Scott to create a ‘cottage orné’ estate village inspired by the Swiss Alps,” writes Love Exploring, which placed Ilam at number two on its list of the prettiest villages in England.”The result? A gobsmacking collection of Swiss-style houses that lend a quirky edge to the Victorian Gothic Ilam Hall and its surrounding Italian gardens.”Ilam is basically the gateway to Dovedale, one of the most scenic river valleys in England that is made up of limestone gorges, the River Dove, and the famous stepping stones. It’s one of the most-visited beauty spots in the Peak District, so Ilam makes a great base for walking without needing to go deep into the national park.The village itself feels oddly transplanted. It was rebuilt in the 19th century in a quaint, Italianate style by a wealthy landowner, complete with an ornate stone cross-shaped monument in the centre. Ilam Hall (now partly a youth hostel, run by the National Trust) sits in landscaped parkland along the river.The village is a gateway to Dovedale(Image: Jake Thornley)The Ilam Park estate has manicured gardens, riverside walks, and grounds that are free to wander, althoughparking has a fee. It’s a relaxed spot for a picnic or a gentle stroll before or after tackling Dovedale properly.There’s a bit of pilgrimage history. St Bertram’s Well and the small church of the Holy Cross are linked to a local Saxon saint, giving the village some quiet historical and spiritual interest beyond just scenery.The feel is Ilam is compact, picturesque, and low-key. There is not much beyond a café, church, and hall ,but it’s less about the village itself and more about using it as a launchpad for classic Peak District walking country, particularly Dovedale and the Manifold Valley nearby.The best villages in EnglandDevon: ClovellyStaffordshire: IlamWiltshire: Castle CombeCornwall: MouseholeWest Yorkshire: HaworthWest Midlands: BournvilleSuffolk: LavenhamNorth Yorkshire: Thornton-le-DaleNorfolk: ThornhamLancashire: DownhamGloucestershire: PainswickDorset: Cerne AbbasTyne and Wear: TynemouthDerbyshire: TideswellCumbria: GrasmereSomerset: DunsterEast Sussex: AlfristonEast Riding of Yorkshire: ThixendaleCounty Durham: StaindropSouth Yorkshire: WentworthWest Sussex: AmberleyKent: ChiddingstoneWorcestershire: InkberrowIsle of Wight: GodshillHertfordshire: KimptonHerefordshire: PembridgeGreater Manchester: WorsleyGreater London: HampsteadBerkshire: Sonning-on-ThamesBuckinghamshire: TurvilleOxfordshire: FaringdonSurrey: ShereBedfordshire: WoburnLincolnshire: TealbyLeicestershire: QuornCheshire: ChristletonMerseyside: Port SunlightEssex: FinchingfieldBristol: WinterbourneWarwickshire: Barton-on-the-HeathCambridgeshire: EltonNottinghamshire: EdwinstoweShropshire: Much WenlockHampshire: Hurstbourne TarrantNorthumberland: AlnmouthRutland: SeatonNorthamptonshire: Stoke Bruerne
Not Butterton or Barlaston – England’s second prettiest village is near Stoke
