After years of dealing with aggressive tourists, an English couple is saying goodbye to one of the country's most famous rows of cottages and leaving their Arlington Row home.
Here's what to know
As The Independent reported, Brian and Jill Skarda are leaving their home in Bibury, England, after years of tourists banging on their door, peering through their windows, and crowding the narrow street outside.
In his final local magazine column, "Tales from the Riverbank," Brian Skarda said "invasive tourism" finalized the couple's decision to leave after more than 14 years on Arlington Row. He said visitor behavior had worsened and that weekend crowds could swell to as many as 20,000 people.
In the column, he explained that the disruption had spilled into their private lives. "We have decided that we have had enough," He wrote, adding that, at times, "we have virtually been unable to get out of our front door or move our car along the Row."
For many travelers, Arlington Row is a photo-op destination. The National Trust-owned 17th-century weavers' cottages have appeared in Bridget Jones's Diary and Stardust and were also featured inside U.K. passports. Skarda said visitors often seemed more interested in selfies, filming themselves, and taking large group photos than actually appreciating the historic buildings.
More background
William Morris described the Bibury village in the 19th century as the "most beautiful village in England." Visitor numbers appear to have risen, with many people arriving by bus on Cotswolds tours.
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Skarda was active in village life, addressing highway issues as well as traffic problems, poor parking, and threatening driver behavior.
Local concerns have extended beyond congestion. With concerns about local wildlife, village leaders want fences along the riverbank to keep people from entering the River Coln. Drone usage, massive buses, and visitors jumping over walls connected to private property have turned the place many call home into a tourism stomping ground.
What's being done?
Efforts to reduce the strain are underway. The Independent reported that a trial has added drop-off coach parking and extended double yellow lines to keep vehicles from clogging the village's narrow lanes.
However, residents say frustration persists despite those steps, and the tourists keep coming.
In his farewell column, Skarda wrote, "This is a beautiful village and, sadly, it is being ruined by the very people who come to see it!"
Where can I learn more?
Bibury isn't the only place grappling with overtourism. Here is more on tourists damaging landmarks, breaking rules at famous sites, and disturbing wildlife in protected areas.
• At Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway, officials warned that coins wedged into basalt are damaging the rock.
• At Iceland's Reynisfjara Beach, travelers blasted a tourist breaking the law at the dangerous black-sand landmark.
• In California, parkgoers ignored barriers as tourists encroached on protected areas for photos near giant sequoias.
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