10 of the prettiest villages in Cambridgeshire

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I can’t believe the amount of beautiful villages we have here in Cambridgeshire that until lockdown hit, I had no idea existed.

Thanks to COVID I’ve explored more of my home county than I ever thought possible, so if you’re looking for beautiful little villages full of thatched cottages, quaint village greens and Tudor timbered buildings, this list will have you covered.


My favourite villages in Cambridgeshire, Hemingford Grey and Hemingford Abbotts are full of pretty little surprises. You can walk between the two in about 5 minutes along the river and through the meadows. There are a couple of holiday lets in these villages so well worth a stay if you’re looking for somewhere in Cambridgeshire. To add a bit of colour, I’m choosing my spring photos of these picturesque villages.

Another of my favourite villages is Houghton; everywhere you turn is a picturesque street full of thatched cottages and English pubs. I’ve chosen a combination of snowy winter shots and summer months – this village is magical in all seasons.

The beautiful houses of Houghton

Within walking distance of Cambridge city centre, Grantchester is another postcard perfect village. Famous for its meadows which meander along the River Cam it’s the perfect spot for scones and afternoon tea, whilst also admiring the village’s beautiful cottages. I’ve mixed up some autumn and spring shots here.

Again close to Cambridge, Bourn is a quintessentially English village full of pretty houses and a picturesque village green. I particularly love the quirky little cottage on the high street which makes me almost crash every time I drive past it because I’m too busy staring at it! I was going for summer photos here, but couldn’t resist posting one frosty one of Bourn Hall as I like it so much.

Another picture perfect village, this time right on the western border of Cambridgeshire, is Easton. Easton is very small, and the roads are single file only. What I love about this village is the incredible little water ways with bridges over them. It’s also completely undiscovered so you can set up for a picnic and you probably won’t see anyone at all, other than maybe a local walking their dog. I think it’s best visited in the summer to see it in all its beauty.

This time pushing the northern border of the county, Elton sits just outside of Peterborough and is an impressive blend of mainly 15th and 17th century architecture. It’s also home to Elton Hall, and looks and feels a bit more like Lincolnshire full of stone houses rather than brick or beamed. I also love the local village shop with fruit outside.

Wilburton is one of the prettiest villages in the ‘Fens’ – the flat swampy plains of Cambridgeshire. I particularly love the way the village church sits at the centre of the village and the houses radiate outwards from it. It’s the kind of village that hasn’t changed in generations, and I love it because of that.

The thatched cottages and Tudor beams of Wilburton

Right in the east of Cambridgeshire lies Lode, another Fen based village. This village is special for its waterways, and the fact it’s home to Anglesey Abbey – a Jacobian House which now belongs to the National Trust. For this village I’ve chosen some murky winter shots to add some atmosphere.

Atmospheric scenes around Lode

Another beautiful village near Huntingdon is Abbotts Ripton, which has to be the thatched roof king of the county. Almost every house is picture perfect with its thatching, and it’s one of my favourite spots in the spring time with magnolia trees everywhere, and wisteria winding along walls.

Dream houses in Abbotts Ripton

Heading south of Cambridge itself this time, Barrington is another post card worthy little village, and this time the highlight is its incredible pub – perfect to enjoy outside in the summer whilst looking at the picturesque surroundings.

At the pub


If you are planning on exploring Cambridge’s villages and its rural side then you may also be interested in my other Cambridgeshire posts:

If it’s pretty villages you’d like to see more of, then also check out my posts on:


Thank you so much for reading. What do you think of the villages of Cambridgeshire – which are your favourite and would you like to visit? If you do then I hope you enjoy my home county. Stay safe and happy travelling.

53 responses to “10 of the prettiest villages in Cambridgeshire”

  1. They’re all so cute, I’m not sure how you picked a favourite!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m glad you like them all 🙂 Yes, it was tough….I love them all in different ways! Thanks for commenting and have a nice day.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Such pretty villages and thatched cottages Hannah. I’ve only visited Cambridge, Ely and Grantchester but your other suggested locations look equally inviting. Coincidentally, I’ve never been to Peterborough, just changed trains there and passed through hundreds of times on the East Coast main line!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks so much 🙂 Ah you’ve seen a lot of the county – both Cambridge and Ely are lovely. Peterborough isn’t quite in the same league. It’s not picture perfect, but some of the villages around it (such as Elton) are absolutely lovely for walks. Thanks for commenting and have a lovely day 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  3. Wow – it’s too difficult to choose a favourite from all your beautiful pictures … but if I had to, I do like Houghton (and surprisingly, all of your photo’s were taken smack-bang in the middle of winter 😲) – maybe because the first house reminds me a little bit of the movie “The Holiday” (one of my favourites to watch over Christmas).
    Beautiful places though and loved all of your pictures!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you so much for your lovely comments. Yes Houghton is stunning, especially in the snow. You’re so right, it does look like the ‘The Holiday’ cottage so maybe that adds to the festive feel 🙂 Have a nice day and thank you for stopping by.

      Liked by 2 people

  4. So beautiful! These pictures could be illustrations for fairy tale books!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Aww thank you Nic, that’s so kind of you to say! Have a lovely day 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Great place to be..gorgeous villages

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you so much, I’m glad you like them 🙂 Have a great day.

      Like

  6. Absolutely love all of the pictures! Can’t wait to visit and see all the cute cottages one day!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much Lyssy 🙂 I really hope you get to visit us one day soon….maybe after your amazing Italian trip. Have a great day x

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I’ve heard of Cambridge, but I had little knowledge of Cambridgeshire as a whole. Each village is undeniably cute, and I especially find the thatched cottages so charming! Cambridgeshire doesn’t look to be too far from London (where international travelers like myself would start at, that is), and I can imagine a weekend getaway to this part of the UK to village hop and take each one in. Thanks for sharing, Han!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ah I’m so glad to show you a different part of England 🙂 Yes we have an abundance of thatched cottages here so we’re really lucky. It’s about 1.5hours on the train to Cambridge so really not far from London at all and accessible without a car. You do need a car to get around the villages, but can always do it by Uber/taxi as well. It’s the perfect spot for a weekend getaway in the UK for sure. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting – have a lovely day 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  8. So hard to pick. These cottages are so cute particular the gardens with delicate flowers. So annoyed at myself that I didn’t think to go out of London when I was there!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m so glad you like them 🙂 It’s been such a joy to discover them, and I’ve lived here for years! Ahh next time you visit you’ll have to get out of the capital and explore a bit more of our countryside 🙂 Thank you for stopping by and have a good day.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Really picturesque villages and very good photos 😊! Imagine how „gemütlich“ it can be there sitting in the sun in cafes or restaurants …. But I heard those places are opening up again in the UK. Hope you can have a wonderful coffee break soon ☕️🍪.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahhh, Ich danke dir sehr! Ja, es ist ein wirklich schöner Ort in England. Unsere Coffeeshops sind wieder geöffnet, also hoffentlich eine Tasse Tee im Sonnenschein an diesem Wochenende! 🙂
      Ich wünsche dir einen schönen Tag aus England 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Even the name, Cambridgeshire, sounds adorable. What a great collection of cute houses and cottages from the various villages. They don’t make them like this here in Canada!

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    1. Hehe, I never really notice that as I live there so it’s just normal to me 🙂 I’m so glad you like them! And we don’t make National Parks here like they do in Canada, I can’t wait to explore more of your beautiful country after lockdown.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Lovely villages and homes that make me pine for home. I’d like to add Barrington to the list, the only Cambridgeshire village I’ve actually written about. Great work!

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    1. Oh I’m so pleased to bring back some nice memories of home for you. Barrington is a good shout, and another beautiful village. We are lucky to have so many 🙂 Thanks for reading and have a great weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I love how pretty and quaint everything is! We just don’t have much like that in the US.

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    1. Thanks so much Diana – we are really lucky here in England to have so many beautiful villages so I’m glad you like them 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I appreciate the quality of the maintenance, there is a great interest on the part of the inhabitants of these beautiful houses to show them in their best light.

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    1. That is so true, they must take such care and effort to keep the houses so beautiful and maintained. Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Gemma

    They are so beautiful. I wish I lived in this area and your photos have inspired me to book one of the cottages in Hemingford for a long weekend to explore Cambridge and its surrounds without being limited to the city. Thank you.

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    1. Oh wow Gemma that is the biggest compliment you could give to my article. I really hope you enjoy your stay and if you need any tips you know where I am 🙂

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  15. So many cute villages. And I like how they’re photographed in different seasons. 🤩😍

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much – it’s definitely been a benefit of lockdown, discovering what’s on the doorstep 🙂 Have a lovely day.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You as well!!🙆‍♀️

        Liked by 1 person

  16. If I am to live there, I will surely feel I’m living on a movie. Soooo fantastic, beautiful houses 😍

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    1. Oh I’m so pleased you like them. Thank you for commenting 🙂 Have a good Sunday.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You too! Be safe always. More travels soon 🤟🏻🤟🏻

        Like

  17. Your pictures are absolutely stunning!! It is simply impossible to pick a favourite! I remember going to Cambridge for a very short week-end and it was stunning, but these villages are just so incredibly cute, they almost look unreal! Thank you so much for sharing, I can’t wait to explore this region again when it is possible! 😊

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    1. I’m so sorry I didn’t reply to this comment earlier Juliette – thank you so much for your lovely comments. I hope you get to come back and visit us again one day and explore more of the surrounding villages 🙂 Have a great rest of your day!

      Liked by 1 person

  18. […] detail on Cambridgeshire’s walks or pretty villages then check out my posts here (walks) and here […]

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  19. This blogpost is fantastic!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much Anna, I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  20. These are so lovely. I’m sure if I were there, I would be like you – stopping every few feet for another capture.

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    1. Thank you 🙂 Yes, for sure – it’s best I go on walks alone now as I just annoy anyone I’m with stopping every 5 seconds to take a photo lol!!! Thanks so much for reading and commenting, have a nice evening.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahh thank you so much 🙂 It’s been nice to explain more of my home county this year!

      Liked by 1 person

  21. […] Take a road trip round the area’s most stunning villages to see thatched cottages galore – post HERE. […]

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  22. […] perfect English village. I’ve written about my favourite villages in other counties such as Cambridgeshire and Rutland, but Suffolk is one of my favourite areas in the whole country and there are stunning […]

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  23. […] villages of the area – Abbotts Ripton, Barrington and Bourn will all be close by (post HERE). Alternatively, head back towards Cambridge and spend the afternoon exploring an incredible […]

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  24. […] villages of the area – Abbotts Ripton, Barrington and Bourn will all be close by (post HERE). Alternatively, head back towards Cambridge and spend the afternoon exploring an incredible […]

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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