'Secret' village an hour from Birmingham with 'spectacular' pub named best place to move to

The rural neighbourhood just off the M40 is home to a traditional pub and a village shop The Times called 'one of the best'

A sleepy village under an hour's drive from Birmingham has been named as one of the best 'secret villages' in the UK.

The Times shortlisted its top 20 lesser-known British villages to live in based on their appealing locations, great communities and useful amenities - and two of them are located in the Midlands.

Gaydon in Warwickshire ranked 15th on the list. The humble neighbourhood just off the M40 had a population of just 530 in the 2021 census, which makes it small even by village standards and probably explains how it's managed to remain under-the-radar, despite its rural charm.

Read more: Birmingham's five 'best places to live' in 2024

The Times praised its local shop, Gaydon Village Store, as 'one of the best', describing it as 'so much more than a place to pick up a pint of milk'. The shop sells the usual essentials, from basic groceries to lunchtime baguettes, but is also runs a veg box scheme, with an emphasis on local produce.

It opened in 2010 after two years of raising funds and is mainly run by volunteers. In its description of Gaydon, the London paper said 'there are prettier villages in this corner of the Midlands', but added 'few are so conveniently located', given its easy access to Birmingham, Leamington Spa, Banbury and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Jaguar Land rover has a headquarters here, which employs around 10,000 people, while the Heritage Motor Centre next door is home to the largest collection of British vehicles in the world. The village also has a rich history and the former RAF bomber station at Gaydon played a pivotal role in Britain's Cold War defence.

The average house price in Gaydon is just over £500,000 - a figure that has more than doubled over the past ten years. The village also has one pub, The Malt Shovel Inn, which regularly receives rave reviews for its quality grub.

One recent Google reviewer, Daniel, said: "While away on a family break, we popped in hear for a quick lunch stop. Got to say it's a gem of a place. Friendly staff and great food. I ordered the steak sandwich with chips off the lunch menu. To be honest at the price it cost I wasn't expecting to much, so was surprised when the food arrived as the steak sandwich was huge. Dog Friendly to. I highly recommend you pay this place a visit."

Sonya wrote: "Lovely pub, one of my favourite places that I have visited. Will definitely go back when passing again. Dog friendly. Lovely atmosphere. Staff friendly. They also sell bread, pastries and croissants. Nice décor inside and out. Had a nice humble warm feeling. Lots of history in the pub. Very clean. Worth a visit." Stacey said: "Fantastic food and a brilliant atmosphere! Roast was amazing!"

And Gary said: "We stopped here for dinner after a quick Google search for good pub grub… the food was spectacular. So much better than we expected! The price was very fair too for a lovely, lovely meal ... There is a pet cockatoo called Harper that just adds another layer of awesomeness to this very welcoming pub! Wonderful place!"