6 U.K. STREETS OF MANY COLOURS
@bunx.jpg Tenby, Wales
A week of rain and things look a bit gloomy, but there are plenty of places where a rainbow can be found whatever it's like outside. From bright homes to pastel-palette villages, these destinations are guaranteed to put you in a good mood. Soon you’ll be able to get going and hit the road in search of these colour-filled spots across the UK. We have picked six of the UK’s most colourful locations, from coastal villages with multicoloured cottages, to townhouses where there is always gold at the end of their rainbow.
Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
It is one of the best-known and best-loved traditions of West Wales’ coastline, the tradition of painting harbourside houses in a spectrum of pastel colours. Legend has it that the pastel shades of West Wales’ harbours are a legacy of the fishermen forefathers of these small communities. The fishermen would paint their terrace homes around the dock in varying colours so they could recognise their own home as they returned from the sea.
Today those colours are the proud hallmark of towns around the coast, from popular Tenby to the tiny bay of Solva and up to beautiful Aberaeron, all of which boast rows of pretty Georgian and Victorian cottages and houses in a rainbow of colour. https://www.qualitycottages.co.uk/aroundwales
Jess Siggers Visit Bristol - Ambrose Road, Cliftonwood, Bristol, England.
Cliftonwood, Bristol, England.
Cliftonwood comprises of mainly Victorian terraced houses, many of which are painted in bright colours.
Nobody’s entirely sure when or why houses in the neighbourhood started being painted… a certain ex-Bristol Mayor believes he was the first to paint his house a colour other than grey-plaster-on-red-brick…as does a local ex-estate agent. It remains a mystery! However the craze began, the houses are an iconic part of Bristol’s skyline. https://visitbristol.co.uk/
Dee Ward - Victoria Street, Grassmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland
Grassmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Victoria Street in the Old Town has to be one of the most photographed locations in the city. Its gentle curve and colourful shopfronts make it a favourite spot for tourist photos, postcards and TV adverts.
Victoria Street was built between 1829-34 as part of a series of improvements to the Old Town. Today the street is a charming corner of the Old Town, but recent speculation suggests that a relic of its darker past may still exist. This was the location of Major Weir’s house, a man notorious as ‘the Wizard of the West Bow’, who was executed for witchcraft in 1670. It was thought that his house was completely demolished when Victoria Street was built, but it now seems that some parts may still exist, hidden in the Quaker Meeting House on the upper terrace. An intriguing thought for those visiting to shop, dine or looking for the unexpected! https://ewh.org.uk/street-stories/victoria-street/
Portobello Road , London, England.
Portobello Road, London, England.
Portobello Road, the world’s largest antiques market with over 1,000 dealers selling every kind of antique and collectable. Visitors flock from all over the world to discover one of London’s best loved landmarks which contains the most extensive selection of antiques in Britain. The whole West London neighbourhood is abounding with creative, bohemian energy that’s no doubt fostered in part by the neighbourhood’s iconic painted houses. https://www.londonperfect.com/blog/2019/03/notting-hills-most-colorful-streets/
Charles Hutchison - , Scotland.
Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland.
Tobermory was built as a fishing port in the late 18th century and is now the main town on Mull. It is a picture-postcard of a place with the brightly painted buildings along the main street to the pier and the high woodland-fringed hills surrounding the bay. The town has a good variety of shops, hotels, and other accommodation as well as being the administrative centre for the island. The harbour is always busy with fishing boats, yachts and the ferry to and from Kilchoan. https://www.tobermory.co.uk/
Portmeirion Village, Wales
Portmeirion Village, Gwynedd, Wales.
Portmeirion was created by Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis from 1925 to 1976. He wanted to show how a naturally beautiful site could be developed without spoiling it. Today Portmeirion is one of Wales' premier visitor attractions, welcoming over 200,000 visitors every year.
What’s most remarkable about the place is that everything is built in the style of an Italian village. The architect Clough Williams-Ellis used the fishing village of Portofino on the Italian Riviera as inspiration, and all the buildings are colourful and loaded with interesting detail.
Visitors to Portmeirion can enjoy complimentary guided walking tours with one of our friendly tour guides. Complimentary audio-visual show is offered featuring Clough Williams-Ellis discussing how and why the village was built and a free land train tour of the Gwyllt woodlands. The Welcome Centre is open all year to help with any information, books or maps you might require.
It addition to its architectural heritage, its stunning setting and sub-tropical gardens, Portmeirion has two stylish hotels, a cluster of self-catering cottages, shops, a spa, cafes and restaurants and an authentic Italian style gelateria. https://portmeirion.wales/visit