A list of the 70 best places to live in the UK has been released this morning (Friday, April 8) and if you live in Ilkley in West Yorkshire, you can be feeling very proud today. The town, north west of Leeds and Bradford, was praised by the Sunday Times for its top schools, interesting shops, spectacular scenery and convenient rail links.
Judges were also impressed by its sports clubs and opportunities for young people, and by the energetic community spirit. The guide also includes a list of regional winners.
The Isle of Bute was identified as the best place to live in Scotland while Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, was placed top in Wales. The comprehensive guide is released online on Friday and an edited version will be available in the paper on Sunday.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges assessed a wide range of factors, from schools, transport and broadband to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street.
Helen Davies, the Times and Sunday Times property editor, said: “The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place.
"For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like?
"Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people?”
She added: “We hope there is something to suit everyone.”
The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2022 regional winners are:
- 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
