Crickhowell has been named as one of the top 15 best towns and villages in the United Kingdom by the consumer advice group, Which?, coming through as one of just two destinations in the top 15.

The consumer watchdog said it had come up with the list based on feedback from its members, which rated the towns and villages they had visited based on the available food and drink, tourist attractions, shopping, scenery and peace and quiet.

The Powys town tanked 12th on the list, which featured the likes of Ludlow, Llangollen and Wells, which took the top spot.

Of the towns, Which? said the entries are excellent at making use of the space available.

“They may be geographically smaller than many of the destinations in our surveys for cities or seaside towns, but they pack a lot into a small space,” the guide reads.

“With their historic buildings, rural charm and quirky, independent spirit, the highest-rated towns are worth a visit at any time of the year.”

Located in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, the town unsurprisingly scored five stars for its scenery and also scored four stars for its attractiveness, with an overall score of 78 per cent.

The town also has a claim to fame among film lovers, which is rumoured to have been an inspiration for the author of The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien and the fictional settlement of Crickhollow.

Nearby towns including Hay on Wye and Abergavenny also featured on the extended list, with an overall destination score of 74 per cent.

Monmouth also scored highly enough to make the consumer advice list, with a score of 69 per cent and Ross-on-Wye, just over the border in England, came in fourth from bottom of the list from Which? users with an overall destination score of 59 per cent.