Deciding where to live in the UK can be quite a challenge.
Usually, London is the place to which people are most drawn, but oftentimes, people long for a different city to call their home.
But there are many factors to consider such as local schools, access to shops and transport links in the area.
With endless places to explore across England, Muddy Stilettos has curated a list of the Top 250 places to live in 2023.
In their comprehensive list, they have looked for the places with the loveliest towns, villages, schools, shops and pubs.
The 2023 National winner is yet to be announced later this month on March 28.
Has your county made it to the list? Scroll down to discover the top 250 places to live in the UK.
Bedfordshire
A historic county with market towns and grand sweeping countrysides that will make anyone feel a world away from the Big Smoke. From the lively Bedford to insanely pretty villages and miles and miles of beautiful countryside, this county is worth a visit
- Ampthill
- Leighton Buzzard
- Barton-Le-Clay
- Biggleswade
- Woburn
- Bedford
- Pavenham
- Ickwell
- Henlow
- Sandy
Berkshire
Berkshire is now home to the Prince and Princess of Wales and is the Queen’s final resting place. It boasts a constellation of Michelin star restaurants, has inspired literary greats and is one of the most commutable counties in the country.
- Wokingham
- Windsor
- Cookham
- Caversham
- Newbury
- Sonning
- Yattendon
- Hungerford
- Pangbourne
- Sunninghill
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is definitely the place to be and is famous for its stunning Chilterns landscape, chic market towns and relaxed pace of life.
- Amersham
- Marlow
- Haddenham
- Great Missenden
- Olney
- Long Crendon
- Brill
- Swanbourne
- Hambleden
- Nether Winchendon
Cambridgeshire
A place home to flat fenland and lively market towns to the north with gorgeous bucolic villages to the east and west and the world-famous historic university city to the south.
- Ely
- Cambridge
- St Ives
- St Neots
- The Shelfords
- Linton
- Ramsey
- Whittlesford
- Hemingford Abbots
- Bourn
Cornwall
The most south-westerly county in the UK, Cornwall has more than 400 miles of beautiful coastline with a multitude of places to live, from tiny quirky fishing villages to large towns with period properties.
- Penzance
- Falmouth
- Wadebridge
- St Agnes
- Truro
- Launceston
- Fowey
- Nansledan, Newquay
- Bude
- Hayle
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is home to Britain's original National Park and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and chocolate-box villages nestling in the gentle countrysides with the prettiest cottages.
- Bakewell
- Belper
- Melbourne
- Ashbourne
- Buxton
- Duffield
- Repton
- Tideswell
Devon
Devon is host to the national parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor and vast beaches and home to the cathedral and university city of Exeter and the Ocean City of Plymouth.
- Exmouth
- Topsham
- Tavistock
- Okehampton
- Kingsbridge
St Leonard’s, Exeter
Ashburton
Totnes
Sidmouth
Tiverton
Dorset
Dorset has all you could wish for, from picture postcard villages and towns in the lush rolling hills with a thriving cultural scene and a plethora of local food and drink producers.
- Sherborne
- Wimborne
- Lyme Regis
- Bridport
- Swanage
- Dorchester
- Southbourne
- Shaftesbury
- Canford Cliffs
- Beaminister
Essex
Essex is home to a whopping 87 nature reserves, a buzzy cafe culture and ruins rich in Roman history as well as the world’s longest pleasure pier at Southend.
- Leigh-on-sea
- Thaxted
- Saffron Walden
- Mersea Island
- Chelmsford
- Wivenhoe
- Manningtree
- Stock
Gloucestershire
A seductive combo of rural charm and cosmopolitan chic, Gloucestershire is a picture-perfect choice for a move out of London with year-round arts and festivals, great boutiques and breathtaking settings.
- Dursley
- Tetbury
- Cirencester
- Nailsworth
- South Cerney
- Stroud
- Leckhampton
- Northleach
- Winchcombe
- Moreton-in-Marsh
Hampshire and Iow
From quaint coastal towns to breathtaking New Forest scenery, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are perfect for those looking for rural escape. The area is full of eateries, chic indie boutiques and family-friendly attractions.
- Winchester
- Lymington
- Southsea
- Ptersfield
- Hartley Wintney
- Alresford
- Romsey
- Cowes
- Odiham
- Yarmouth
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is home to charming villages, rolling fields and towns packed with cool restaurants. There's something for everyone here from stunning stately homes, wild days out, cultural escapes and magical memories
- Tring
- Hitchin
- Berkhamsted
- St Albans
- Harpenden
- Ware
- Bishops's Stortford
Welwyn Garden City
Rickmansworth
Radlett
Kent
From the rolling hills, vineyards and orchards of west Kent to the cool, coastal towns and creative vibe of east Kent - Kent seems to have it all. Its host to a blossoming foodie scene and the best wineries in England on your doorstep.
- Canterbury
- Deal
Tunbridge Wells
Sevenoaks
Folkstone
Tenterden
West Malling
Faversham
Speldhurst
Goudhurst
Leicestershire and Rutland
Leicestershire and Rutland is an area rich in culture, heritage, and leisure activities. It is offten described as the heart of rural England where you can discover beautiful country villages, historic ruins and a popular cosmopolitan city centre.
- Clarendon Park
- Harborough
- Ashby de la Zouch
- Uppingham
- Oakham
Market Bosworth
Loughborough
Rothley
Newton Linford
Wymeswold
Norfolk
Norfolk is a great place to live with beautiful beaches and a capital city bursting with trendy accolades. Plus with so many amazing local producers in Norfolk, the food scene is one of the best in the country.
- Aylesham
- Norwich
- Wymondham
- Holt
- Surlingham
- King's Lynn
- Burnham Market
- Wroxham
- Diss
- Great Massingham
Nottinghamshire
This is a county which boasts an excellent array of shops, restaurants, and attractions. It is also renowned for its thriving music scene and proud sporting history.
- Southwell
- Newark-on-Trent
- Beeston
- Wollaton
- West Bridgeford
- Edinstowe
- Burton Joyce
- Farnsfield
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a place which offers rural tranquility, pretty market towns, a vibrant foodie scene all within easy reach of London and without the eye-watering property price tag.
- Towcester
- Long Buckby
- Daventry
- Weedon
- Earls Barton
- Oundle
- Brackley
- Thrapston
- Brixworth
- Middleton Cheney
Oxfordshire
From dreaming spires to Cotswolds villages, bluebell forests to foodie havens, Oxfordshire balances both the rural idyll and city sophistication like no other county.
- Wallingford
- Thame
- Woodstock
- Henley-on-Thames
- The Miltons
- BurfordHorsha
- Jericho
- Watlington
- Charlbury
- Kingham
Somerset
Despite being best known for hosting Glastonbury, Somerset has more to offer with gorgeous houses and villages, cool towns, cutting edge art, the Somerset Levels, Exmoor, its own Jurassic north coast – and the World Heritage City of Bath.
- Frome
- Wells
- Somerton
- Langport
- Clevedon
- Castle Cary
- Bruton
- Wedmore
- Wellow
Suffolk
Suffolk is home to everything from charming medieval market towns and chocolate box villages to miles of stunning coastline and pretty open countryside.
- St Edmunds
- Woodbridge
- Southwold
- Long Melford
- Framlingham
- Beccles
- Sadbury
- Hadleigh
- Aldeburgh
- Saxmundham
Surrey
Blessed with a wealth of thriving market towns, pretty villages and beautiful bucolic countryside, Surrey has a lot to offer and is the perfect destination offering the best of all worlds of city and rural life.
- Farnham
- Dorking
- Reigate
- Cobham
- Godalming
- Ripley
- Haslemere
- Esher
- Englefield Green
Sussex
From quaint country villages to vibrant coastal cities, Sussex is bursting with charm. With its fertile farmland to provide locally-sourced food for fine dining and its vineyards which are possibly the best the world has to offer.
- Lewes
- Worthing
- Chichester
- Rye
- Hove
- Kindfield
- St Leonards-On-Sea
- Eastbourne
- Horsham
- Petworth
Warwickshire
With medieval gem Warwick Castle, rivers, ancient woodlands and beautifully preserved manor houses, Warwickshire has plenty of stylish boltholes to write home about.
- Dunchurch
- Leamington Spa
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Brinklow
- Warwick
- Kenilworth
- Henley-in-Arden
- Ilmington
- Charlecote
- Snitterfield
West Midlands
An endlessly inventive place, the West Midlands has made its mark on the world with everything from automated traffic lights to heavy metal music. The place is where the pacemaker and the microwave started life, and it has even made a major contribution to the art of drinking tea.
- Knowle
- Earlsdon
- Bournville
- Moseley
- Hampton-in-Arden
- Sutton Coldfield
- Digbeth
- Edgbaston
- Harborne
- Coleshill
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is known for its iconic prehistoric monuments including the world-famous Stonehenge, picture-perfect villages and the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral. It is home to many other notable prehistoric monument including the West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill, as well as the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world at Avebury.
- Salisbury
- Bradford on Avon
- Marlborough
- Devizes
- Malmesbury
- Corsham
- Trowbridge
- Warminster
- Tisbury
- Sherston
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is one of England's most beautiful counties, with a wonderland of natural beauty with the Malvern Hills, Wyre Forest and a network of pretty canals waiting to be explored.
- Malvern
- Tenbury Wells
- Bewdley
- Upton-upon-Severn
- Bromsgrove
- Broadway
- Droitwich Spa
Stourport-on-Severn
Worcester
Pershore
