New fences for 'world's most beautiful village' to stop tourists 'doing want they want'

Fences are set to be installed in a village voted the most beautiful in the world to stop hundreds of tourists paddling in a river.

Bibury in Gloucestershire is home to about 600 people, but can see up to 20,000 visitors a day, which this summer caused a number of issues for wildlife in the River Coln.

Craig Chapman, chair of Bibury Parish Council, said the authority voted for the "drastic measure" to protect the water's swans, ducks, voles and fish.

But Jason Edwards, deputy chair of the Coach Tourism Association, said he was concerned more restrictions could stop coach companies visiting the area altogether and Bibury had already become a "red flag".

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In 2025, Bibury topped the list of Forbes Magazine's 50 most beautiful villages in the world, boosting tourist visits even further.

Chapman said over recent months tourists had been "doing what they want" in the village.

"In the hot weather over the summer tourists were sitting on the riverbank with their feet in the river, walking in the river and even setting up tables and chairs in the river, that's highly detrimental to the wildlife," he said.

Chapman said fencing areas off was "absolutely not what we want to do".

"It's a drastic measure, but it seems it's what we have to do to protect the environment around the River Coln," he added.

Chapman added the council had approved the new fences and was now waiting for the funding to be signed off.

Victoria Summerley, who has lived in Bibury for 14 years, said things had become worse since Covid.

"The Coln River is a trout stream. It's supposed to be a really clean river.

"The amount of litter that ends up in the river in terms of drinks, bottles, coffee cups and so on, just unbelievable," she added.

There has been a mixed reaction to the scheme, which included Gloucestershire County Council introducing a coach drop-off point. But some say coaches are not always using the spaces.

One resident previously told BBC that coaches full of tourists were often ignoring the rules and stopping "where they want" to drop off passengers.

Edwards described his coach customers as "decent, tidy people" who spend money in the area and are expecting a lovely day out.

"We want to be welcomed, we want to contribute to the well-being of the customers, the neighbourhood, the shops.

"When the doors are getting slammed firmly in our face, we can just travel onto the next destination where we will be welcomed and we are looked after," he added.

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