A picturesque hotspot in the New Forest has been named among the UK's best towns and villages in the UK by readers of Which?

Beaulieu, home to the National Motor Museum and Palace House, scored highly for its historic buildings, rural charm and quirky, independent spirit. 

More than 9,000 Which? members rated the inland towns and villages they'd visited, with Beaulieu being given a destination score of 72 per cent, alongside the likes of Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire and Bakewell in the Peak District, putting it in the top 50 locations nationwide. 

READ MORE: Entry to this popular New Forest visitor attraction is free this month

The two top spots went to Somerset and Avebury in Wiltshire. They were followed by other highly rated towns in every corner of the UK – from Scotland to Dorset and North Wales to the Lake District.

Beaulieu has remained largely unspoilt by progress, and is a favourite tourist stop for visitors to the New Forest, as well as bird watchers. 

Daily Echo:

It lies on the banks of the Beaulieu river and includes historic shipbuilding village Buckler's Hard.