Best Place To Live In UK Has Been Announced

If you're thinking of making a move and looking for a new place to settle down, this may be one for you.

A team of judges have compiled a list of the best places to live in the UK, and the winner may surprise you.

While most lists of this sort always seem to be topped by the likes of Manchester, Belfast, Edinburgh or Cardiff, the Sunday Times panel have picked out a small Yorkshire village.

According to the judges, Ilkley, just outside Leeds in West Yorkshire, is the best place to settle down.

Not only is it the birthplace of Ground Force's very own Alan Titchmarsh, it also has an impressive array of sports clubs and shops.

Judges also noted that it had a strong sense of community, of which volunteering was a key part.

Speaking about his hometown, Titchmarsh said: "The scenery is beautiful. You’ve got the moor on one side, the river in the middle and the woods on the other, so when you’re young you can choose where to go and play.

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"It has a lovely town centre, and it’s a town with a heart too.

"Whenever I visit, I always go straight up the moor, look down at the town and whisper, 'I’m back'."

It's the tenth time the list has been put together, with Ilkley beating off competition from over 60 other towns and cities to take the top spot.

But it wasn't the only winner on this year's list.

Trawden in Lancashire claimed its regional title after judges were impressed by efforts to rescue a local pub and community centre.

While Crystal Palace was judged to be the best place to live in London.

Over in Wales, Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, with its bustling town centre filled with independent shops, was named as the best place to live.

In Northern Ireland, Ballycastle in Co Antrim took the top spot, having been praised for its food and stunning scenery.

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And up in Scotland, the Isle of Bute was picked out for its proximity to Glasgow and its thriving community, with a number of Syrian refugees having moved to the island and set up their own businesses. 

Speaking about the list, Helen Davies, the editor of The Best Place to Live Guide, said: "When we launched the inaugural list, it was all about schools and smart supermarkets. London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains.

"These days there’s more mention of festivals, bookshops, markets, living car-free, wild swimming spots and energetic communities who’ll stop at nothing to improve where they live.

"This year we have discovered more new best places to live, from resurgent city centres in the North, rejuvenated suburbs across the country, hidden villages in the South West, and a commutable Scottish island."