A tiny town in Yorkshire has been crowned Britain's best place to live, beating a host of big cities in the process.
Ilkley near Bradford, west Yorkshire, has topped a list of 70 locations in the UK.
Top class schools, a buzzing high street, the good rail links and breathtaking views, all landed the town with the top spot.
Judges said they were impressed by the sports clubs available and the opportunities that they present for young people.
The guide to the UK’s best towns includes 70 locations and is decided by Sunday Times’s judges.
They decided the best place in London to live is Crystal Palace, in Kent it is Sevenoaks and The Chalke Valley in Wiltshire is top in the South East.
In the North West the best place was Trawden in Lancashire.
Residents of Ilkley were thrilled with the "fantastic accolade".
John Oddy, 52, a partner at Ascentis accountants told The Mirror: “I joke by saying it’s a bit like Royston Vasey, you will never leave.
“But seriously it’s a wonderful place you would not get me out of here with a stick of dynamite.
“The first thing to say about Ilkley is it is in a beautiful part of Yorkshire to start with, in God’s own country, with all the wonderful scenery and walks.”
He said during the pandemic “as horrendous as it was we were blessed to live in Ilkley because of the number of fabulous walks available.
“In just over half an hour you can be in the Yorkshire Dales and a little beyond that you can be in the Lake District.
“We are 15 minutes away from Leeds Bradford airport and it’s great for families.
“The schools are fantastic. People move here just to get into the schools. There is also a really great community spirit.
"The town is clean, there is no crime, certainly no violent crime.”
And as for the sport, he added: “There are three cricket clubs actually in the town, level five rugby club with over 350 members. Ilkley tennis club is fabulous, the golf club and much more.
“It’s difficult to think of a typical British sport you can’t play here.”
Born and bred in Ilkley, Richard Bradley, chairman of the ‘Friend’s of King’s Hall,’ an Edwardian theatre in the town centre opposite the station, said: “We have been in the top five on a number of occasions so it comes as no surprise. It’s a fantastic accolade.
“I will never leave. Why would you want to leave somewhere that offers so much?
“It’s a wonderful town to live in and ultimately I am not surprised because the town has so much to offer for the young and for old.
“It’s got a wide range of restaurants and pubs. It’s not a wild night out in Ilkley - it’s ultimately more of an eating-in and events town.
"The youngsters go and drink in Leeds. My son is 19 and he will find it very boring and goes off to Leeds to do all the clubbing.”
Former Londoner Trevor Yong, 40, a sales boss, has lived in Yorkshire since 2011 and moved to Ilkley, where his wife project manager Lucy, 38, is from, four years later.
“When I first moved I thought it was the exact opposite of London in a good way.”
Now settled and chairman of Ilkley Round Table, he said: “The people of Ilkley are some of the most generous, I personally, have ever encountered. Because of their time and their donations.”
He said yearly they raise almost £100,000 with two key events a year, the beer festival in February and the Ilkley half marathon.
And even in the pandemic their virtual marathon raised £25,000 to fund a child heart monitor at Leeds General Infirmary.
“I think the community is what Ilkley is all about,” he added.
The Places to Live 2022 regional winners:
- East of England, Norwich, Norfolk
- London, Crystal Palace
- Midlands, Uppingham, Rutland
- Northern Ireland, Ballycastle, County Antrim
- North and North East, Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
- North West, Trawden, Lancashire
- Scotland, Isle of Bute, Argyll
- South East, Sevenoaks, Kent
- South West, The Chalke Valley, Wiltshire
- Wales, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
