Thorpeness

England: Thorpeness, Suffolk is one of those rare places that feels like it was dreamed up rather than built. Tucked along the Suffolk coast, this quirky Edwardian fantasy village was designed in the early 20th century as a private holiday retreat — and it still wears that enchanting, slightly-out-of-time charm today.

Keep an eye out for the House in the Clouds — a water tower cheekily disguised as a cottage perched high in the sky, which you can now actually rent for a stay. It’s wonderfully absurd and completely wonderful.

The village itself is tiny: a handful of pretty houses, a golf club, a windmill, and the kind of quiet that makes you exhale properly. There are no chain shops, no arcades, no fuss. Just birdsong, sea air drifting in from the coast path, and the soft creak of a rowing boat.

Thorpeness is the kind of place you stumble upon, fall a little in love with, and spend years quietly recommending to people who you think deserve something special.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​