A village in Yorkshire has been named the best place to live in the UK, according to a new ranking.
The village of Ilkley, in West Yorkshire, topped the list of 70 locations named on The Sunday Times’ annual list of the Best Places to Live.
Ilkley was given the top honours due to its strong sense of community cohesion as residents campaigned to make River Wharfe a safe place for wild swimming.
It was also commended for its “magical” scenery, highly-rated schools, club sports, ease of getting around, and the local street market.
The list also saw the Isle of Bute named as the best place to live in Scotland.
The Isle is among seven Scottish places named in a new list, which includes Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Culross in Fife, Dunblane, near Stirling, the Shawlands area of Glasgow, Melrose in the Borders and North Berwick in east Lothian.
Bute is 90 minutes from Glasgow and was described as “head and shoulders about all the other Scottish islands for commutability”. It was also credited for its “adventurous locals fizzing with ideas to make their neighbourhoods shine”.
The list pointed to regional winners, which saw London’s Crystal Palace take the top spot for the capital due to its “bohemian vibe”, good schools and panoramic views of central London.
The Sunday Times Best 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
To compile the list, judges considered a range of factors including schools, transport and broadband as well as green spaces, the local high street, and culture.
Property editor for the publication, Helen Davies said that working from home has caused a change in where people choose to live.
“Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH (work from home) revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed - and how welcome that change is,” she explained.
“This year we have discovered 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. We hope there is something to suit everyone.”
Additional reporting by PA
