Part two
In the first instalment of this feature, we looked at the Sunday Times assessment of the best places to live in the North and North East of England, the South East and the Midlands. Today, we turn to the North West, South West, East of England and London.
North West
There is a great deal of buzz around the North West of England right now. The region is at the very heart of the Government's Northern Powerhouse project, and its cities are undergoing a genuine renaissance. But there is so much more to the area than the huge urban spreads of Liverpool and Manchester. There are the rural delights of Cheshire and the majesty of the Lake District. There's the remarkably unspoiled coastline, as well as the region's proximity to Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Communications with centres like Leeds, Birmingham and London are good and getting better. So it's quite an accolade to be named the best place to live in the North West. This year, The Times gave that title to Knutsford in Cheshire.
Situated to the south west of Manchester, Knutsford is a delightful green belt town with striking architecture. Vibrant and prosperous in its own right, it serves as a dormitory town for Manchester and, to an extent, Liverpool. It boasts some superb shopping and leisure facilities and it has some of the best public services and amenities to be found anywhere in Britain. Gorgeous Tatton Park is right on the doorstep. The crime rate is comparatively low and local schools are routinely classed as outstanding by Ofsted. As such, it's a great place to raise a family. The downside? Well, the average cost of a house in this affluent and charming little town is just over £403,000!
Other locations receiving honourable mentions in the Times list are:
- Cheshire: Chester, Lymm
- Cumbria: Alston, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale
- Greater Manchester: Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Ramsbottom, Saddleworth
- Lancashire: Clitheroe
- Liverpool: Baltic Triangle
- Manchester: Ancoats
- Merseyside: West Kirby
South West
The South West of England is no less diverse than its northerly cousin, boasting glorious countryside, a breathtaking coastline and some of Britain's most fascinating cities. There's Bristol, ancient yet forward-looking and funky. Then there are the wonderful old cities of Bath, Cheltenham and Gloucester. Prosperous on its own account, the region has great links with London and all of that great city's opportunities. Choosing the best place to live in the South West must have been a pretty challenging task for the team at the Sunday Times, but they eventually opted for Kingham in Oxfordshire.
Kingham is an idyllic Cotswold village, the sort of traditional English community that our American cousins think we all inhabit, with lovely old churches, a village hall, red post and telephone boxes and proper pubs. There's nothing unattractive about Kingham, unless it's the cost of real estate! Coming in at an average of £638,545, the village has some of the most expensive house prices in the UK.
Other South West locations named in The Times are:
- Bristol
- Cornwall: Falmouth, Lizard's Peninsula, St. Agnes
- Devon: Chagford, Exeter, Exmoor, Kingsbridge, Tavistock, Totnes
- Dorset: Lyme Regis, Sherborne, Swanage
- Gloucestershire: Blockley, Cheltenham
- Somerset: Bath, Frome
- Wiltshire: Marlborough, Tisbury
East of England
The East of England is becoming one of the country's residential hotspots, with average house prices rising by a staggering 75 per cent in the past decade. Its links with London are an obvious selling point for commuters working in the capital. There is a great deal more to this part of Britain, though. For example, there's the wild beauty of the Fens, the venerable old cities of Norwich and Cambridge and the glorious East Anglian coast. Choosing the jewel in this area's crown must have been yet another formidable job for The Times panel, but they ultimately chose Woodbridge in Suffolk as the region's best place to live.
Woodbridge is an enchanting market town lying on the banks of the River Deben, some eight miles from the sea. Surrounded by an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and close to the historically important Sutton Hoo, Woodbridge is host to some excellent shops, pubs and restaurants. Its crime rate is enviably low, it’s rather affluent with high employment, and its educational standards are among the best in England. While by no means host to the cheapest house prices in the UK, Woodbridge real estate market seems to represent great value, with the average residential property costing £344,668.
Other locations in the East of England warranting a mention are:
- Cambridgeshire: Cambridge, Ely, Hemingford Grey, the Shelfords
- Essex: Dedham, Felsted, Finchingfield, Shenfield
- Norfolk: Aylsham, Norwich, Wells-next-the-Sea
- Suffolk: Framlingham
London
In a sense, of course, London needs no introduction. It is world class in every regard, from its amazing architecture to its cultural and historical heritage, its shopping districts, its amazing financial services sector and its renowned sporting venues. Dr Johnson was right: when a man is tired of London, he's tired of life. So where in the great metropolis is the best place to live?
Well, you could be forgiven for doing a double take when we say Peckham. Once the butt of a thousand jokes and (in)famous as home to the Trotter family, Peckham is now one of the capital's fastest growing and most vibrant areas. As The Times says, its cachet is similar to that of the hipster hotspots of Dalston and Hackney, but it is also becoming a desirable destination for middle class families. House prices, however, are a casualty of the area's recent rebirth, with the average home now costing £513,590!
Other London locations named by The Times are:
- Barnes
- Bermondsey
- Bloomsbury
- Canonbury
- City
- Crystal Palace
- Dulwich
- Highgate
- Mayfair
- Muswell Hill
- Teddington
- Walthamstow
In Part Three, the team at Nethouseprices will look at Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Visit us again soon for all your property market news.
Source: Nethouseprices
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