‘I visited one of the UK’s poshest village and it only has 1 thing going for it’ | UK | Travel

Despite being crowned as one of the poshest villages in the UK, there appears to be just one thing going for it – its beauty. The small village in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, 13 miles north of Leeds, has been named as one of the 48 poshest villages in the UK by the Telegraph, with an astonishing average property price of £762,566. Reporter at YorkshireLive, Samantha Teasdale, visited Kirkby Overblow to see what exactly comes with such a steep price. 

The reporter expected to find grand estates, but was instead surprised by the unassuming homes along the A658, the ivy-clad Star and Garter pub, which appeared to have been abandoned for quite some time, and a village that seemed pretty lifeless, with little local amenities. Samantha Teasdale wrote: « To be honest, although it was clearly a posh place to live area – that is undeniably clear from the beauty of views – to me, that is the only selling point.

« Although the village was beautiful – there was no denying that – it was sad to see a ghost of a pub called The Star and Garter that had been taken over by ivy and the building vacant for a long time. 

« We were shocked that as we were walking around in the sun (yes, in March!) we could only find a primary school, one open pub and a church among a couple of hundred of houses.

« It was dead. Apart from the noises from school children running around, tractors driving up the road and trucks delivering oil, nothing stirred in the village. It was very surreal to think how it would be a prime place to live. »

The reporter added that after a disappointing walk where they failed to find the well, they enjoyed a meal at The Shoulder of Mutton but when they asked staff for directions to the St Helen’s Holy Well, they were met with confusion, despite it being listed on Google Maps and in a 2011 council guide.

The village is surrounded by scenic streams, rolling hills, beautiful views of the countryside, and charming Georgian townhouses. 

The North Yorkshire village is home to an ancient church which is also used as a village hall, and The Shoulder of Mutton, a pub serving traditional pub classics and Sunday roast including the ‘Shoulder of Mutton’ which is braised shoulder of lamb served in a mint and redcurrant gravy with dauphinoise potatoes and a seasonal vegetables. 

With around 300 residents and 120 homes, the village is centered around the church, All Saints School, and the pub, according to the village website.

Every three years, it holds a summer arts festival called KOSAF and this June it is hosting a summer event on Sunrise Farm featuring modern and traditional country music.