The Cambridgeshire village named among county's best where annual festival draws thousands

In the middle of the Cambridgeshire countryside, one village only has around 350 permanent residents. For one weekend each spring, however, more than 14,000 people flock there to see the streets lined with gold.

The village in question is Thriplow, recently named as one of the 10 best places to live in Cambridgeshire by lifestyle brand Muddy Stilettos. The village was praised for its pretty houses, community pub, and prime commuter location.

And the gold-lined streets? That's Thriplow's annual Daffodil Weekend, which has become an annual extravaganza after starting as a church fundraiser in 1969. The village now even has its own daffodil variety – the Thriplow Gold.

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It's one of the things that makes Thriplow not just one of the best villages in Cambridgeshire, but the "best place in the world", according to Daffodil Weekend chairman Paul Earnshaw. He says the festival brings the whole village together, with more volunteers for the event than there are residents as people pull in friends and family for their help.

"It's globally famous now," he says, with contagious enthusiasm. "Last year, there were people from Australia coming specially for the festival." Paul isn't the only one bursting with pride about the Daffodil Weekend – everyone CambridgeshireLive spoke to in Thriplow said it was a highlight of living there.

While the Daffodil Weekend is an annual showcase putting Thriplow on the map, Paul says he has loved living there for 23 years. "Everyone knows everyone," he says, describing a strong sense of community where villagers get involved in groups and clubs – and even an annual midsummer party.

Hayley Lewin, manager of community-owned pub The Green Man, moved to Thriplow with her husband Mike about a year ago. Hayley says the village is 'lovely'. "It's 15 minutes from Cambridge but you have these beautiful surroundings," she says.

The pub was bought out by locals in 2012 and is owned by a group of 71 shareholders, with a village board of directors. It is at the heart of the village, with a popular weekly quiz night among the roster of events organised for the village.

Holly, who works at the pub, moved to the village with her family during lockdown in 2020. "Everyone's super nice," she says. Neighbours were very welcoming when the family moved in, despite lockdown restrictions, with one neighbour welcoming them to the village with home-grown vegetables.

The village also has a shop, which is run by a small number of staff as well as volunteers from the community. Liz Keyworth and Jennie Gamble are among the volunteers, describing the shop as a 'hub' of activity in the village, where people often get chatting among the shelves.

"It's a lovely village," Jennie says. "Very community-minded – like we are in a little bubble." Liz adds that the road and rail links are very good, with the M11 nearby and stations a short drive away in Royston and Whittlesford, though Jennie adds that bus services "could be improved".

Planning for next year's Daffodil Weekend is underway, with the village set to welcome thousands more visitors on March 22 and 23. But be careful if you're planning to visit for the day – you might just find yourself wanting to stay.