The incredible little UK seaside village where tourists keep making the same mistake

A stunning UK village is known for its charming waterfront and cobbled streets - but its so dreamy tourists often make an embarrasing mistake. Clovelly, a privately owned harbour village in the Torridge district of Devon, is one of the county's most beautiful getaway spots, home to a 14-century harbour and awe-inspiring coastal views.

In fact, it's so idyllic that tourists apparently can't believe it's a real place and stumble into buildings they shouldn't. Richard Gibbs, general manager of the popular Red Lion Inn on the quay, told Devon Live: “It’s a living, breathing village, people actually walk into people’s houses because they don’t realise that people actually live here”.

Clovelly is dubbed the 100,000 people's secret by locals, a reference to the number of annual visitors it sees, Richard said, though its popularity makes him proud.

“It’s massively touristy but softly so, I’m so grateful that people are still here,” he told the outlet.

The village, which thought to have a population of only around 450, was once owned by England’s first crowned queen, Matilda of Flanders.

Ownership changed hands over the centuries, but it remains privately controlled to this day. The current owner is Hon. John Rous, a descendant of the Hamlyn family, a long-running dynasty of wealthy Devon landowners.

A major highlight is the view of the Bristol Channel from atop 400-foot-high cliffs above the sea, and there is plenty to explore.

The village has a rich artistic and literary history, with its coastline featuring in the works of iconic British painter J.M.W. Turner

Charles Dickens wrote about it, and Charles Kingsley, author of Westward Ho!, spent much of his childhood in Clovelly.

Fans of the celebrated author can learn all about his life in the Kingsley Museum.

And if you want to step back in time you can even see how local people lived in the 1930s at the Fisherman’s Cottage, which is made up to capture the style of the period.

Another standout spot is Clovelly Court Gardens, next to the village's 13th-century All Saints’ Church, which is home to a rich variety of flowers, fruit, and vegetables within a traditional Victorian walled garden.

You can also see the village's famous donkeys at their "pictureseque old stables", according to its website.

There is an admission fee to enter the village, which includes entrance to the Village, Clovelly Court Gardens, Clovelly Film Show, The Fishermans Cottage, Kingsley Museum, general facilities and parking.

Clovelly says like most historical landmarks "we heavily rely on entrance fees for the essential maintenance and upkeep that comes with an ancient village perched on a 400ft cliff, with no vehicular access".