It's not always easy to choose where to move if you're wanting to up sticks - but there are some things can help make that decision a bit easier.
Whether it's lush green spaces, charming pubs or good local schools you're after, it's always helpful to know what's in the area before you make any firm decision on where exactly you want to be.
In a comprehensive county-by-county breakdown across England, Muddy Stilettos have released their list of the Top 250 places to live in 2023.
The annual list by the UK women's lifestyle brand picks out the towns and villages with the best towns, villages, schools, shops and pubs outside the capital - with one special spot saved for the national winner.
Check out the final entries to see whether your hometown is in the top 250 places to live in the UK:
National winner - Exmouth, Devon:
Exmouth in Devon was crowned Muddy Stilettos' national winner for 2023 after the coastal town was found to offer all the 'whole package' of a desirable town.
The lifestyle website said of the idyllic seaside spot: “What’s not to love about a coastal town nestled where the Exe Estuary meets the sea, with two miles of golden sand, a 200-berth marina and great road and rail connections to Devon’s capital city?”
It added the town has always had "much for outdoorsy types" thanks to its great countryside, but that the "increasingly swanky hospitality" that has drawn special attention on a national level.
Bedfordshire
- Ampthill
- Leighton Buzzard
- Barton-Le-Clay
- Biggleswade
- Woburn
- Bedford
- Pavenham
- Ickwell
- Henlow
- Sandy
Berkshire
Home to the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Queen’s final resting place, Berkshire boasts a number Michelin star restaurants and is one of the most commutable counties in the country.
- Wokingham
- Windsor
- Cookham
- Caversham
- Newbury
- Sonning
- Yattendon
- Hungerford
- Pangbourne
- Sunninghill
Buckinghamshire
A favourite among the Home Counties, Bucks is famous for its stunning Chilterns landscape, boutique market towns and relaxed pace of life.
- Amersham
- Marlow
- Haddenham
- Great Missenden
- Olney
- Long Crendon
- Brill
- Swanbourne
- Hambleden
- Nether Winchendon
Cambridgeshire
While great in its own right, there's more to Cambridgeshire than just its world-famous historic university city, with the north of the county home to flat wild fenland, while the east and west is dotted with picturesque villages
- Ely
- Cambridge
- St Ives
- St Neots
- The Shelfords
- Linton
- Ramsey
- Whittlesford
- Hemingford Abbots
- Bourn
Cornwall
Cornwall is home to beautiful coastline and some of the most stunning natural landscapes in the the UK, while the charms of village life in its traditional fishing villages and town continue to make the area a huge magnet for newcomers.
- Penzance
- Falmouth
- Wadebridge
- St Agnes
- Truro
- Launceston
- Fowey
- Nansledan, Newquay
- Bude
- Hayle
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is home to most of the Peak District National Park, and the area is blessed with a beautiful blend of rugged terrain and more gentle rolling hills.
- Bakewell
- Belper
- Melbourne
- Ashbourne
- Buxton
- Duffield
- Repton
- Tideswell
Devon
The national parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor are in Devon, as are plenty of vast beaches. It's also home to the fifteenth-century Exeter cathedral and ocean city of Plymouth.
- Exmouth
- Topsham
- Tavistock
- Okehampton
- Kingsbridge
St Leonard’s, Exeter
Ashburton
Totnes
Sidmouth
Tiverton
Dorset
A constant draw for tourists, Dorset has a thriving cultural scene and a great choice of local food and drink producers threaded throughout the county.
- Sherborne
- Wimborne
- Lyme Regis
- Bridport
- Swanage
- Dorchester
- Southbourne
- Shaftesbury
- Canford Cliffs
- Beaminister
Essex
Always a trend-setter, Essex is also known for its expansive salt marshes and famous Roman ruins.
- Leigh-on-sea
- Thaxted
- Saffron Walden
- Mersea Island
- Chelmsford
- Wivenhoe
- Manningtree
- Stock
Gloucestershire
This county has arts and cultural events all year round, and offers plenty to offer for the discerning city dweller looking for a more rural style of life.
- Dursley
- Tetbury
- Cirencester
- Nailsworth
- South Cerney
- Stroud
- Leckhampton
- Northleach
- Winchcombe
- Moreton-in-Marsh
Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are perfect for those looking to get back in touch with nature, especially around the stunning landscapes of the New Forest.
- 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
Kent has some of best wineries in England thanks to its mild climate, as has some up-and-coming trendy coastal towns and well as historic charm in towns like Canterbury
- Canterbury
- Deal
Tunbridge Wells
Sevenoaks
Folkstone
Tenterden
West Malling
Faversham
Speldhurst
Goudhurst
Leicestershire and Rutland
Often described as the heart of rural England, Leicestershire and Rutland both have plenty of heritage sites as well as some great open countryside and lakes.
- Clarendon Park
- Harborough
- Ashby de la Zouch
- Uppingham
- Oakham
Market Bosworth
Loughborough
Rothley
Newton Linford
Wymeswold
Norfolk
Norfolk offers a true break from the hustle-and-bustle of modern life in its fine flint-stone villages, sandy beaches and farmer's markets - not to mention the pleasures of taking a boat through the Broads.
- Aylesham
- Norwich
- Wymondham
- Holt
- Surlingham
- King's Lynn
- Burnham Market
- Wroxham
- Diss
- Great Massingham
Nottinghamshire
'Robin Hood Country' has a whole lot more to give than just tales and legends, with city sights and rural delights often just minutes away.
- Southwell
- Newark-on-Trent
- Beeston
- Wollaton
- West Bridgeford
- Edinstowe
- Burton Joyce
- Farnsfield
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire has great market towns, and is located in a handy spot for those needing to get to the capital.
- Towcester
- Long Buckby
- Daventry
- Weedon
- Earls Barton
- Oundle
- Brackley
- Thrapston
- Brixworth
- Middleton Cheney
Oxfordshire
The dreaming spires of Oxfordshire's famous university city blend seamlessly into the Cotswolds villages, bluebell forests and charming countryside of the surrounding area, making Oxfordshire hard to beat for anyone wanting the 'best of both worlds'.
- Wallingford
- Thame
- Woodstock
- Henley-on-Thames
- The Miltons
- Burford
- Jericho
- Watlington
- Charlbury
- Kingham
Somerset
When the noise of Glastonbury festival is not around Somerset still has a whole lot to offer, including gorgeous stately houses and villages, the Somerset Levels, Exmoor, and the World Heritage City of Bath.
- Frome
- Wells
- Somerton
- Langport
- Clevedon
- Castle Cary
- Bruton
- Wedmore
- Wellow
Suffolk
Suffolk has some of the nicest seaside towns around, and on the doorstep to the south-east while still located far enough away from the capital to offer a truly countryside feel.
- St Edmunds
- Woodbridge
- Southwold
- Long Melford
- Framlingham
- Beccles
- Sadbury
- Hadleigh
- Aldeburgh
- Saxmundham
Surrey
Surrey has long been a destination of choice for those making a dream move out of London - and its quaint, well-kept villages and towns give you a good idea as to why.
- Farnham
- Dorking
- Reigate
- Cobham
- Godalming
- Ripley
- Haslemere
- Esher
- Englefield Green
Sussex
Surrey is great for locally-sourced fine dining thanks its fertile farmland, and the historic county's charms draw in day-trippers and new residents alike.
- Lewes
- Worthing
- Chichester
- Rye
- Hove
- Kindfield
- St Leonards-On-Sea
- Eastbourne
- Horsham
- Petworth
Warwickshire
Warwick Castle, rivers, ancient woodlands and beautifully preserved manor houses, give the county a great heritage appeal with useful transport links to the rest of the UK.
- Dunchurch
- Leamington Spa
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Brinklow
- Warwick
- Kenilworth
- Henley-in-Arden
- Ilmington
- Charlecote
- Snitterfield
West Midlands
The West Midlands is home to many inventions that still shape modern life today, and combines urban life with more rustic appeal.
- Knowle
- Earlsdon
- Bournville
- Moseley
- Hampton-in-Arden
- Sutton Coldfield
- Digbeth
- Edgbaston
- Harborne
- Coleshill
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is rich in history, including the world-famous Stonehenge, the West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill, as well as the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world at Avebury. Picture-perfect villages and the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral also make it a great place to visit and an even better one to live in.
- Salisbury
- Bradford on Avon
- Marlborough
- Devizes
- Malmesbury
- Corsham
- Trowbridge
- Warminster
- Tisbury
- Sherston
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is one of England's most beautiful regions, and teems in natural beauty with the Malvern Hills, Wyre Forest and a network of pretty canals connecting the county.
- Malvern
- Tenbury Wells
- Bewdley
- Upton-upon-Severn
- Bromsgrove
- Broadway
- Droitwich Spa
Stourport-on-Severn
Worcester
Pershore
