We live in ‘world’s most picturesque village’ – it might seem like paradise but we’re fleeing to an estate down the road
LOCALS have revealed the major downside of living in their picturesque village, voted one of the most beautiful in the world.
Staithes, in North Yorkshire, attracts visitors from across the UK with its breathtaking coastal views and quaint atmosphere – but there’s catch tourists don’t see.
The seaside town was voted within the top 20 most beautiful villages in the world on Faraway Furniture’s list.
But one resident, who didn’t wish to give their name, claimed living there can be a complete nightmare.
They told the Northern Echo: “It might seem quaint and lovely to visitors and tourists, but you end up with such a silent location or one where you need to escape on the busiest weekends.
“Some might say to us that we should enjoy the tourism, which we do, but not all tourists are respectful of our homes.”
House prices in Staithes usually fetch an average of £225,000 with detached properties going for just over £340,000, according to Rightmove.
Much of the area’s money is generated by income brought in by tourism.
But, this can lead to problems in the off-season, when homeowners compared the holiday hot spot to a “ghost town”.
Meanwhile, when floods of visitors descend on the small coastal village, locals are forced to escape for basic amenities.
Frustrated residents claimed there is no “middle ground” which makes living in the area “far from ideal”.
However holidaymakers continue to sing its praises year after year.
“Staithes is a real gem,” penned one happy beachgoer on TripAdvisor.
They added: “This little village offers a dip into history and a place of quietness.”
“What a stunning place it was we were planning on getting a cottage next year for a few days,” wrote another impressed visitor.
A third agreed: “We just love it here. It’s beautiful.
“It is so nice to go somewhere that hasn’t been overtaken by the usual high street chains and it remains a local little community.”
This comes as fed-up locals in other seaside towns across the UK complain tourists are ruining their home.
Residents of summer hot spot St Ives, in Cornwall, have had enough of holidaymakers swarming their idyllic coastline turning it into a living “nightmare”.
Each year more visitors arrive, bringing with them traffic chaos, noise and litter, according to fuming locals.
Elsewhere in Cornwall, residents of Mousehole, an idyllic staycation spot, have to leave town to buy everyday essentials.
Rising visitor numbers has wreaked havoc on the property market as houses are snatched up by tourists for holiday homes.
Meanwhile, in Padstow, North Cornwall, glorious golden beaches and picturesque countryside are a hit with tourists – but now its popularity is wreaking havoc with residents.
The disheartened community are so up-in-arms about the worsening housing situation and claim greedy tourists are “overburdening the system”.
And, families in another Yorkshire seaside “ghost town” also say they are being forced out and torn apart by holiday home owners.