What is it about the Cotswolds that we keep coming back to? Cute, honey-coloured houses, tucked into the idyllic English countryside… It’s proven itself, again and again, as one of the most charming sites in the world—and it’s right on Birmingham’s doorstep (sort of).
Throw a dart and you’ll hit a beauty spot, but while some towns and villages are certainly oversubscribed—Moreton-in-Marsh, Castle Combe, Stow-on-the-Wold—there are still many often overlooked. Enter the lesser-known gem of Blockley, less than an hour and a half drive from Brum.
Golden streets, a babbling brook, and a Norman church at its community’s heart, Blockley is the sort of place you’d think of trying to draw a Cotswolds village from memory. Unsurprisingly, it was named the ‘Best Place to Live in the South West’ by The Times in 2017, and hasn’t changed much since then.
So charming is it, in fact, that it’s the filming location for everyone’s favourite cosy crime drama, Father Brown. Doubling as the fictional village of Kembleford for 12 seasons (and counting), The Church of St Peter and St Paul in Blockley is even used as Father Brown’s St Mary Roman Catholic Church.
What is there to do in Blockley?
On top of visiting all the Father Brown filming locations, like the village green, you’ll find the beautiful Blockley Cafe serving a seasonal menu using the ‘local produce on our doorstep’—from coffee and a pastry to a glass of wine with an evening meal. There’s also The Great Western Arms for a pint and pub-grub.
And make sure to check out the Mill Dene Garden (only open from April to the end of October, Tuesdays to Fridays, 10am to 5pm), which is set around a watermill, with a stream and millpond. With its own cricket lawn, rose walk, fruit garden, pavilion, and more, it’s well worth the trip to Blockley alone!
How do I get there?
From Birmingham, the best way to Blockley is to take the M6, M42 and M40 to the A429 in Budbrooke, and then drive to B4479 in Blockley, taking just over an hour to do so.