Two Cumbrian villages have been named on a new national list of the Top 30 villages in the UK. The tiny villages of Cartmel and Dent are both listed by The Telegraph in its new list of "favourite untrammelled villages".
They are the only two villages in the north west that have made the list published today. None feature from Greater Manchester, Lancashire or Cheshire.
Experts from across the country were recruited by The Telegraph to select villages for the list. The criteria was for villages that "retain their authentic character, where medieval pubs and churches remain the beating heart of the community, and where wlecoming shopkeepers stock treats from local producers".
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In Cartmel, on the Southern edge of the Lake District, you can definitey be assured of plenty of local produce. The village has become known for its extraordinary gastronomic scene, thanks in no small part to the influence of world famous chef Simon Rogan.
The village, 90 minutes from Manchester, boasts an incredible four Michelin stars across Rogan's two restaurants here. There is the three Michelin Star L'Enclume in an old Smithy, and the one Michelin Star rated Rogan and Co.
Just outside Cartmel you will also find the acclaimed Heft in High Newton which has just been awarded its first Michelin Star too. But the fine dining venues are just part of the extraordinary culinary scene here.
The village boasts cafes, bakeries, there are bars, pubs and an ice cream parlour. And there's also the famous Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding shop which has become a tourist destination itself over recent years.
Cartmel has long been a destination for tourists, thanks to its ancient 12th century priory and its own racecourse right on the edge of the village.
On race days the village is packed - and it's an extraordinary scene to watch the racehorses gallop past the pretty stone cottages and shops from the centre of the racecourse.
There are four pubs in the village centre - the historic Kings Arms, Cavendish Arms, Pig & Whistle and The Royal Oak. All boast outdoor seating areas, where customers can soak up the picturesque views of the historic village all around.
The Telegraph report hails the village's "higgledy-piggledy narrow lanes lined with stone cottages, a market square, a cherrily bubbling river and, on the western side, what is surely the country's most scenic racecourse".
Meanwhile the village of Dent sits on the northermost edge of Cumbria, with "its heart in Yorkshire" sitting as it does amid the Yorskhire Dales National Park.
The Telegraph says that "Dent village comes as a surprise with its handsome 12th-century chruch, cat's cradle of cobbles lanes, whitewashed houses, and clutch of pubs and cafes."
It praises Meadowside Cafe for its high quality home made produce, and the George and Dragon inn for "cheery rooms and hearty Yorkshire food".
Dent is a little further away from Manchester than Cartmel, taking around an hour and 45 minutes by road from the city centre.
Other villages that make the top 30 list in The Telegraph include Saltaire in West Yorkshire, Hutton-le-Hole in North Yorkshire, Alnmouth in Northumberland, Aberffraw in Anglesey, Solva in Pembrokshire and Sonning in Berkshire.
You can find the full top 30 list in The Telegraph online here.
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