If you wander across the border for some out of Wales exploring and want to rummage around picture perfect, pretty villages but don't want to stray too far, the area known as the Welsh Marches is the destination to consider.
The border country between Wales and England has no modern legal or official definition for the size of the area or what is included within its invisible boundaries but many people consider it to be at least partial slices of the English counties that hug the border.
The counties that are buddies on the border are Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire on the English side and Flintshire, Wrexham, Powys and Monmouthshire on the Welsh side.
READ MORE: 14 Welsh villages so beautiful you'll want to move there straight away
The area is known for its stunning natural beauty encapsulating valleys and hills, woodland and waterways, and a landscape that is peppered by pretty and characterful towns and villages and frequent blasts of history, from castles and manor houses to stone circles and Iron Age forts.
But if hiraeth begins to overwhelm you there's no need to panic, as the border back to the homeland is never too far away, and in some cases can be seen from the windows of the charming and delightful period properties that make many villages in the Welsh Marches able to boast about their own unique characters.
Llanymynech, Powys and Shropshire
Pretty villages that are in the neighbouring nation don't come any closer to the Welsh English border than Llanymynech, because the border actually runs right through the middle of the community; it's the central main road. On the left is Powys with a population (in 2011 census) of 323, on the right is in Shropshire with a population of 477.
Sup a pint with friends in a Welsh pub on one side of the road, cross over the border road and have the next round in England. A village with such a physical divide between the inhabitants means a difference in councillors, politics, council tax and it became a place of two halves when the Covid-19 pandemic struck when each nation had differing lockdown rules and decisions were rolled out on a regional basis.
And the recent World Cup has divided the village again, with half of the location breathing the fire of the dragon of Wales Cymru and the other half roaring for the three lions of England, especially when the teams met and played - I wonder how many villagers braved stepping over the border once the final whistle went - one half of the location happy the other half totally deflated?
Audlem, Cheshire
The location next to the Shropshire Union Canal Main Line means idyllic waterside walks can be a daily occurence at this pretty village near Nantwich.
For a population of just 1,991 according to the 2011 census, the village is bursting with independent establishments, nestled along the streets lined with pretty period properties to the central crossroads where the beautiful and historic Church of St James the Great stands over the village from its elevated position.
There's a newsagent that has traded for over 150 years, two cafes, a famous butchers and three pubs. Audlem Mill, which sits on Audlem Wharf, as well as being a fine canal shop, has just had major success in the British Craft Awards for Stitch Retailer of the Year in the North West, making it one of the best needlework shops in Britain.
According to the Manchester Evening News this attractive village could well be the 'proudest' village community in England, with residents who pay for Union Jack flags to fly all summer on the walls of shops and houses and for floral displays all across the streets. In the winter these are changed to Christmas trees and twinkling lights.
Tattenhall, Cheshire
Eight miles from Chester and not too far from the border with Wales, Wrexham is about 13 miles away, this village is a charming hot spot of beautiful buildings that range from red brick to classic white and black timber-beamed. The site has been enticing people to live here for centuries, with the village mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Now the population has swelled to 2,079 in and around the village and rumour has it that one resident in the area is Wales international football player Ben Woodburn. The village can offer three pubs, a church, primary school and shops including a post office and butcher.
The village has a strong link to Wales beyond the proximity to the border, as a number of the village properties were designed by renowned architect Clough Williams-Ellis, famous for creating one of Wales' most unique and loved tourist attractions - the Italianate village of Portmeirion, Gwynedd.
Hodnet, Shropshire
Attractive timber-framed houses mix with classic red brick period properties in this small village that has a big history. From the Bronze Age, a burial site was discovered in 2002 when the bypass was being constructed, to being called Odenet during the time of Edward the Confessor who owned a local royal manor, the history of the village and surrounding land is long and busy.
The village area could once boast its own motte and bailey castle built in 1082, and then rebuilt in 1196 in stone which then burnt down. What's left is classed as a scheduled monument. Add the 12th century church and the picturesque manor of Hodnet Hall and its enchanting gardens, and it's clear to see why the area is steeped in stories from the past.
In the present, the population of the village and the ward in which it can be found is 4,429, so still a very popular rural spot to call home, and it's not hard to see why.
Minsterley, Shropshire
History on everyone's doorstep at this pretty village which, along with Little Minsterley just down the lane and the surrounding land, had a population of 1,777 in the 2011 census. The central 17th century church is notable for its stonework at the west end of the building that features skull and crossbones and hourglasses, and there's also a war memorial that has stood in the centre of the village since 1920.
But the biggest gem of the village is the astonishing timber-framed Grade II* Tudor manor house called Minsterley Hall built in 1581, for a gentleman called Robert Clough.
Extensions of the house date back to the mid-17th century and were built for Sir Henry Frederick Thynne, to replace Caus Castle which was destroyed during the English Civil war. And in an admirable example of early recycling, it is thought that some of the materials and fittings came from the castle for this new construction.
The area has lots of opportunities for walking and riding in the surrounding countryside which offers wooded valleys, streams and the wilder uplands of the Long Mountains and the distinctive rocky hill called Stiperstones.
Priestweston, Shropshire
The village is so close to Wales that, as the border takes a jaunty angled bend around the topography of the land, the nearest village becomes the Welsh community of Whit Grit lying to the east, not the west, of Priestweston.
The leafy village is a collection of mainly period cottages and houses, and a village hall, that line only a handful of lanes. Second World War Victoria Cross winner John Brunt was born in the village in 1922 and an outdoor memorial plaque to his memory was put up in May, 2004. And for cycling enthusiasts, National Cycle Route 44 passes straight through the village.
Nearby there's The Miners Arms pub, a welcoming stone property on the edge of the village and just down the lane and a short climb will get you to where a megalithic stone circle known as Mitchell's Fold crowns the hill and also offers you sweeping views back into Wales - handy if you're missing the homeland.
Symonds Yat, Herefordshire
Considered by many as one of the most beautiful locations along the meandering route of the Wye Valley that accompanies much of the border, the village of around 1,500 residents nestles amongst the trees within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The village has three distinct areas. Symonds Yat West and Symonds Yat East straddle the river Wye and can be accessed in either direction by a footbridge or even a small passenger ferry. On the east you will find three hotels and an activity centre and a steep path that leads up Symonds Yat Rock to the pinnacle and some spectacular views.
On the west, closest to Wales, there is a large caravan and camp site, the historic The Old Court Hotel, a butterfly zoo, and a maze that was constructed to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee in 1977.
Pembridge, Herefordshire
According to website About Britain, few places in Herefordshire are lovelier than Pembridge, so maybe set the sat nav to this small community seven miles west of Leominister and decide for yourself. Located near a ford across the River Arrow, the village has been a thriving hub for centuries, and some of the historic, regular markets still continue to this day.
Packed with picture perfect, Medieval black timber beamed buildings, the village with a population of around 1,056 has been a beautiful place to call home for hundreds of years, having been mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.
The detached bell tower is said to date back to the 13th century and there are at least eight medieval hall houses with cross-wings still standing in the village, and the pub and shop come with historic pedigree too.
Brockweir, Herefordshire
Whereas it's a road that defines the border between the two nations in Llanymynech, it's the River Wye that does that job as it flows by the pretty village of Brockweir, which in 2011 had a population of 484.
From the Welsh riverbank and the road that has just left the village of Tintern, wander across the cast iron bridge to discover a patchwork of pretty period properties that include a 16th century manor house, the first house to welcome you when you arrive in England. Keep wandering the narrow streets to find the 19th century Moravian Chapel with Gothic windows, Art Nouveau glass and a bellcote, and the Old Malt House which has a fine Tudor-arched stone doorway.
According to the website, Visit Dean Wye, during World War II the village and its bridge had a narrow escape when a Wellington bomber, returning from a mission to France, crashed just upstream after its crew had safely ejected.
Uley, Gloucestershire
Pretty is the perfect word to describe the Gloucestershire village of Uley and it's likely the population of 1,151 would agree. Located in a wooded valley on the edge of the Cotswolds, the village doesn't just have a visual feast of period properties, it is steeped in history too.
Overlooking the village is the 2,500-year-old Uley Bury, a substantial Iron Age hillfort whose mound still dominates the landscape today. Website Cotswolds.com lists the village church as a gem and the community is a hub of activity too, with its own brewery named after the village, and there's an independent rural arts centre with a national reputation called Prema Arts too.
Stinchcombe, Gloucestershire
The views within this tiny village of 480 inhabitants are most attractive and include stone-built homes, the central village cross, and the historic church. One of the past residents of this lovely location was novelist Evelyn Waugh, author of numerous titles including Brideshead Revisited, who lived at the truly stunning Georgian manor called Piers Court.
The area is popular for walks up Stinchcombe Hill that forms part of the Jurassic limestone scarp of the Cotswolds to Drakestone Point to be rewarded for your efforts with panoramic views over the River Severn. The hill can also offer a large and popular golf course with views to distract you from your perfect put.
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