Gold Hill, Shaftesbury

In the English county of Dorset, the town of Shaftesbury contains a steep cobbled roadway called Gold Hill. One of the most lovely vistas in England is the view gazing down from the top of the street.

One of the few structures from Shaftesbury's pre-eighteenth-century architecture still stands at the top of the street, St. Peter's Church, which dates to the fourteenth century. The former Priest's House (Sun and Moon Cottage), which is still a part of the Gold Hill Museum complex but now houses a store, is close to the church.

As demonstrated by the famous Hovis bread TV commercial from the 1970s, Shaftesbury's Gold Hill is a breathtakingly beautiful location. The hill's ascent snakes up a group of thatched and stone homes, providing yet another breathtaking (and extremely steep) illustration of rural England's charming attractions. It's hardly surprising that this is one of the UK's top 20 most photogenic streets given that they truly do appear to have been plucked from a fairy tale.

You'll be rewarded with moving vistas of the Dorset countryside once you've worked up a sweat at the summit. Don't miss the opportunity to photograph Gold Hill Museum and St. Peter's Church from the 14th century at the peak. Its acclaimed cottage garden is an excellent location for macro photography.

Location: Shaftesbury, Southwest England