One of the prettiest villages in England that was visited by Walt Disney and was nearly bought by America
A PRETTY village in Essex has an unusual link to the founder of Disney.
Finchingfield is often named as one of the prettiest villages in the UK - so much so that American soldiers tried to buy it during World War Two.
Finchingfield, which is sandwiched between Saffron Walden and Braintree, has thatched cottages, beautiful walks, pubs, tearooms, a duck pond and windmill.
The village is home to celebrities and has even had a very notable visit from the one and only Walt Disney.
Walt Disney visited the village to meet the author Dodie Smith and broker a deal for her successful novel, "The Hundred and One Dalmatians."
Dodie Smith lived in a cottage called The Barretts, in Finchingfield.
Read More on UK Villages
It’s rumoured the Grade II listed Georgian manor Greys Hall, in the nearby village of Sible Hedingham, was the inspiration for Cruella de Vil’s home.
The book "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" was released in 1956, and the Disney adaptation came out in 1961.
Dodie Smith died in 1990, aged 94, and is buried in the village.
Dodie wasn't the only person taken with Finchingfield, as it was also a popular spot for American soldiers.
Most read in News Travel
The village was very close to the former airbase RAF Wethersfield, which was allocated by the RAF to the US Air Force during World War Two.
It's said that the soldiers took a liking to the village.
Roy Cox, who runs the Finchingfield Community Group, said that when the war came to an end, they were reluctant to leave it behind.
Talking to ITV, Roy said: "When the Americans were at the base two miles up the road, they loved this village and all the pubs."
"When the war ended, they didn't want to leave the village and a few of them got together - quite wealthy, I understand - and they put in an offer to buy the village and transport it, or parts of it, back to America."
More recently, the village has appeared on TV.
The Sky TV comedy series Chickens, written by and starring The Inbetweeners star Simon Bird and Joe Thomas, was filmed in the village of Finchingfield.
The show, released in 2013, told the story of three young men who avoid fighting in World War One.
The Essex village is also a haven for TV chef Jamie Oliver, who lives there with his family.
The Olivers' £6million country home has a huge garden and even a football pitch.
Jamie and his wife, Jules often let fans take a peek inside their home when he shows snaps of it on social media.
Read More on The Sun
Here's another UK village that celebrities like Denise van Outen and Coldplay drummer Will Champion have called home.
And the tiny UK village home to a famous Hollywood celeb – who is often spotted down the pub.
