A centuries-old picturesque British village could also be residence to one of many world's prettiest streets.

Shaftesbury is a quiet village of 9,162 within the centre of Dorset and is a comparatively quick drive down the A303 from Stonehenge.

But it's most well-known for a bit of road that's barely 200 metres lengthy however attracts thousands and thousands of holiday makers per 12 months.

Gold Hill gently slopes via the center of the village and boasts a cobbled street lined by picture-perfect cottages.

The road is a well-known native landmark, having starred in a much-loved advert, and was as soon as proclaimed one of many world's prettiest.

In 2022, property brokers GetAgent carried out a examine through which researchers requested members to take a look at a number of pictures showcasing beautiful cities and villages.

The researchers then used eye-tracking software program to find out which of the photographs appeared essentially the most visually pleasing.

They discovered that members checked out Gold Hill for about 3.5 seconds, ingesting in its cobblestones, thatched properties and examine of Blackmore Vale.

The road made it into the highest ten of the company's worldwide rankings, putting eighth.

It was certainly one of solely two British entries on the listing, with Bath's iconic Circus coming third.

Although the Philosopher's Path in Kyoto, Japan, topped the listing, the outcomes give Shaftesbury locals distinctive bragging rights.

The road can be nationally well-known for having starred in an advert for flour and bread makers Hovis.

The Nineteen Seventies "Boy on a Bike" industrial has change into a nationwide favorite because it aired and was famously directed by legendary Alien and Gladiator director Ridley Scott.

The advert continues to tug vacationers to Shaftesbury in response to the village's vacationer board.

Speaking to the Bournemouth Daily Echo in 2021, a spokesman for the board mentioned they usually get folks "asking for directions to what they call the Hovis street".

The spokesman added: "It must have been responsible for hundreds of thousands of visitors to the town over the decades.”

"She mentioned the townsfolk had been extraordinarily pleased with the road and recognised its significance to Shaftesbury. So what’s its secret? There’s nowhere else in Britain prefer it."