'Like stepping back in time': The quaint chocolate box West Midlands village that is loved by visitors

Bournville in south Birmingham is a 19th century model village like no other founded by the Quaker Cadbury family for employees at its Cadbury's factory.

This affluent Birmingham suburb is one of the most well-known, it’s always in the best places to live rankings and it is steeped in history that’s deeply connected to the global identity of the Second City today.

Initially created by the Cadbury Brothers in 1879 to house their employees working in the Cadbury Factory, Bournville was established as a model village, a Utopian paradise built not from bricks and cement, but integrity and compassion.

Commonly cited in various articles and studies as being ‘One of the best places in Birmingham’ and even ‘the UK as a whole’, I decided to venture out into this idyllic ‘chocolate-box village’ and investigate what Bournville really has to offer.

There’s a relatively small number of residents who live in Bournville - around 25,000 - and they are still required to follow the rules of the Village Trust. 

The Trust, which was founded in 1900 by George Cadbury, owns most of the homes in the village and has a design guide which residents are expected to follow. Those who live in the village, including employees, are expected to maintain their homes to a certain standard, and if you live within the trust’s management scheme, locals also have to pay an annual charge of around £100, according to the Trust.

Walls and fences are also generally discouraged and any changes to a house's 'external appearance' must be approved by the Trust who need to be informed.

There are some amazing chocolate creations to enjoy at Cadbury World though, so don't miss out on a visit if you're in town.

The guide also includes instructions on what gardens should look like, with no caravans, trailers or boats allowed on driveways. The guide is in place to help sustain the village’s idyllic and peaceful atmosphere, which has been maintained for more than 100 years. There are also no pubs or major supermarkets in Bournville, with it famously being known as a ‘dry village’.

Jumping off the train, I noticed that much of the village has a purple theme to represent the brand including parts of the train station and many of the village's street lights. Walking past Cadbury World, it’s impossible to miss the rather ornate and quite stunning clubhouse of Cadbury Football Club - even the local team is defined by chocolate.

There are plenty of green spaces, and the village is also home to Rowheath Park, one of the city's most stunning parks. I stopped to chat with one Bournville resident by the factory. Robert has lived in the village for 45 years. He says the village's green spaces are what attracted him to set up his home here.

When I asked about living under the Trust's rules, he said: "We're in a listed building in conservation areas so you can't change anything about the property. There's the maintenance charge which is fine, but I know some people rail against it.”

He added: "Famously, we don't have any pubs or off licences. Round the corner there's a garage and Tesco Express that wanted an off-licence. They were told they couldn't have it, and appealed so we had a referendum about it in the village.

"But it wasn't close: 80% wanted to keep Bournville dry," he said - which goes to show how much the residents still value George Cadbury's blueprint.

After our chat, I then walked up to Sycamore Road, the Bournville street which is home to a row of independent shops and is next to the stunning village green. Many of the houses around the green are well-built cottages with spacious gardens that have an arts and crafts like design, and the village reminded me of a small movie set.

Locals Alisson and Mark have also lived in Bournville for 40 years and say they don’t mind travelling short distances when they need to do their weekly shop, and believe the upkeep is a price worth paying to maintain the village’s beauty.

“I don’t think we’ve ever really missed the pub,” she said. “Obviously there are some on the periphery. That’s why we very much welcome this little parade of shops [on Sycamore Road]. We also like the architecture here.”

After a stroll around the village green, I went into Christine’s knit and wool shop that’s a couple of doors down from Evans’s. The family run business is owned by sisters Julie and Caroline Davies, who took over the shop from their mother who founded the business in 1976.

On life in the village, Julie told me: “It has its challenges but it’s a lovely location to work in and it’s very community based. We serve third generations of families which is very nice.

“Like everybody else there’s been lots of challenges and keeping up with the world works the way online has developed. Although we’re in a very traditional place as a yard shop, we try to keep up with the times - the location is absolutely stunning."