Yorkshire locations Saltaire, Hutton-le-Hole and Dent named among The Telegraph’s greatest villages in Britain

Yorkshire has attracted millions of visitors from around the world due to its picturesque villages, many of which have been used as filming locations.

With an array of pubs, cafes, restaurants, shops and historic mills, there is always something to see and do.

The Telegraph has published its annual Greatest Villages in Britain list and there is plenty to unpack.

The Yorkshire villages on the list are filled with heritage and idyllic to look at; the areas retain their authenticity, offer a variety of venues that host popular festivals and maintain a sense of community that is friendly and welcoming.

Saltaire is first on the list of 30 greatest villages; this unique suburb located north of Bradford is one of the oldest model villages, built by textile businessman Sir Titus Salt between 1853 and 1876.

Its purpose was to move his five mills, now known as Salts Mill, somewhere with better living conditions for his employees and built terraced housing for his workers and foremen along the edge of the railway line.

A large church was added to the village along with a recreation hall and a public park next to the River Aire.

Saltaire became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001 and the main Salts Mill building was renovated in the 1980s. It is now home to a permanent Hockney display, a miniature textile history museum and plenty of places to eat and drink as well as two large bookshops.

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Various TV shows and films have been filmed in Saltaire, including The Railway Children Return (2022), The English Game (2020), Peaky Blinders (2013-2022), Ghost Stories (2017) and Funny Cow (2017).

Hutton-le-Hole came in second place on the list, which is located in the North York Moors with its variety of beautiful moorland, steep valleys and many villages that attract lots of visitors: Goathland, where Heartbeat was filmed, Rosedale Abbey, Lanstingham and Hutton-le-Hole.

Hutton-le-Hole is the idyllic village for raising a family with its greenery, white picket fences, babbling beck and gorgeous cottages.

There is plenty of farm life to observe including sheep grazing the greens and volunteers help out at the Ryedale Folk Museum and the village hall where the community host events including the popular annual duck race.

The Folk Museum has a selection of 20 reconstructed vernacular Yorkshire buildings, including a 1950s village shop and you can learn all about how to make chocolate at The Chocolate Factory.

After a long day of browsing the village, you can have a drink outside The Crown Inn or buy some treats at The Old School House Deli and Bakery.

The third village on the list is Dent, which lies on the western side of the Pennines, in Cumbria but is also situated within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The village is populated with sheep and cattle and in all its glory stands a charming 12th century church.

With the cobblestone lanes, white houses and variety of pubs and cafes, this village is very well known for its quaint appearance.

It also includes a village shop and a Heritage Centre where you can learn all about how the local residents lived and socialised from as far back as the 16th century, including ‘The Terrible Knitters of Dent’ and the Victorian Adam Sedgwick, one of the founders of modern geology.

Full list of The Telegraph’s greatest villages in Britain 2024

1 - Saltaire

2 - Hutton-le-Hole, North Yorkshire

3 - Dent, Cumbria

4 - Alnmouth, Northumberland

5 - Cartmel, Cumbria

6 - Mells, Somerset

7 - Cranborne, Dorset

8 - Lustleigh, Devon

9 - Shaldon, Devon

10 - Lizard, Cornwall

11 - Laxfield, Suffolk

12 - Great Massingham, Norfolk

13 - Wing, Rutland

14 - Ombersley, Worcestershire

15 - Broadway, Worcestershire

16 - Wootton, Oxfordshire

17 - Alfriston, East Sussex

18 - Ditchling, East Sussex

19 - Bosham, West Sussex

20 - Dedham, Essex

21 - Chilham, Kent

22 - Hambleden, Buckinghamshire

23 - Sonning, Berkshire

24 - Solva, Pembrokeshire

25 - Laugharne, Carmarthenshire

26 - Aberffraw, Anglesey

27 - Beddgelert, Gwynedd

28 - Tobermory, Isle of Mull

29 - Inverie, Highland

30 - St Monans, Fife