Bibury in tourist stress: traffic collapse in a picturesque village!

Bibury in tourist stress: traffic collapse in a picturesque village!

In the idyllic village of Bibury in the southwest of England, a lot happens that increasingly worried the local population. With a population of just a few hundred, the small village over weekends, especially from tourists who attract up to 20,000 visitors. These dizzying numbers lead to an increasingly pressing traffic chaos, which heavily burdened the residents. It is reported that tourists often park on sidewalks when the official parking spaces are overcrowded, which creates dangerous situations, such as driving on feet or blocking driveways.

The theater performances of nature are the order of the day: in particular, the daily arrivals of large coaches increase the traffic problem. The Gloucestershire County Council has therefore announced measures to improve the Situation. One of the planned steps includes the temporary closure of holding bays for coaches in the village center. In addition, new bus stops are installed elsewhere and the large coaches are to park on a nearby country road. Visitors are asked to only park their car in designated areas, since violations of the parking regulations can be punished with fines.

Arlington Row: A historical landmark

A particularly popular photo motif in Bibury is Arlington Row, a number of historical weavers from the 14th century. This iconic building not only attracts tourists, but also served as a location for the romantic fantasy film "Stardust" from 2007, in which celebrities such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert de Niro play along. Arlington Row is often associated with the film "Bridget Jones’s Diary", but so far there is no evidence that these recordings actually took place there; Rather, parts of the film were filmed in Snowshill, in northern Cotswolds.

The attraction of Bibury's places like Arlington Row shows the attraction of the village and at the same time the challenges that go hand in hand with the overtourism. The local population is faced with a problem that not only threatens its quality of life, but also the legacy and beauty of their surroundings. The planned intervention of the Gloucestershire County Council could be a first step in the right direction to meet the steadily growing rush of visitors and to keep Bibury as a charming retreat.