Sunday Times best places to live 2023: full list of top UK towns, cities and villages - including Wadhurst

Locations were ranked on various factors, including transport links, culture and access to green spaces
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The best places to live in the UK for 2023 have been named in the annual Sunday Times guide.

Wadhurst in East Sussex bagged the overall top spot, beating 71 locations to take the crown as the country’s most desirable spot to call home.

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Judges for the Sunday Times guide said the small market town offers “pretty much everything needed for modern life in miniature”, and won praise for its good schools, convenient transport links, variety of high street shops and being surrounded by “stunning scenery”.

The Wadhurst Warriors, a group of fathers who began fundraising for the town’s primary school in 2004 and now raise money for the whole village, were praised as the “stars of the show”. The group organises various events in the town, including fetes, fireworks nights and putting up Christmas decorations, and the money raised is then used to help those in the village who need it, such as the local school or the Girl Guides.

Group chairman Chris Poulton said Wadhurst is the best place to live because everyone in the community works together, making it “a place where everyone can be supported”.

Wadhurst in East Sussex been named as the overall best place to live in the UK in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide (Photo: PA)Wadhurst in East Sussex been named as the overall best place to live in the UK in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide (Photo: PA)
Wadhurst in East Sussex been named as the overall best place to live in the UK in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide (Photo: PA)

The town, which is home to less than 5,000 people and the smallest winner of the award in its 11-year-history, was also commended for the many activities available for children, its farmers’ market, clubs, classes and the community cinema at the Community Hall.

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Elsewhere, Ruthin in Denbighshire was named the best place to live in Wales, while Dunkeld in Perthshire claimed the top spot in Scotland, and in Northern Ireland, Donaghadee in Co Down was crowned the winner.

A winner was also selected for each region in England. All locations were visited by expert judges and were assessed on a range of factors. This included the quality of schools in the area, transport links, broadband speeds, culture, access to green spaces and the health of the high street.

This year’s list features more new entries than ever before, including Poundbury, a village on the edge of Dorchester in Dorset which was planned by King Charles and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. At the time critics branded it a “toy town” but judges said its affordable homes, renewable energy and emphasis on walkability suggest it was ahead of its time.

Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield also all made a return to the list, suggesting people may no longer be fleeing for the country as cities return to life now that Covid restrictions have been lifted.

Ruthin in Denbighshire was named the best place to live in Wales (Photo: AdobeRuthin in Denbighshire was named the best place to live in Wales (Photo: Adobe
Ruthin in Denbighshire was named the best place to live in Wales (Photo: Adobe
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Helen Davies, editor of Best Places To Live 2023, said: “When times are tough, where we live matters more than ever. Attractive surroundings, good neighbours and a comfortable home are the best defences when the stresses of modern life seem overwhelming.

“This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2023 from Orkney to Felixstowe, the Chew Valley to Manchester city centre. Whether you’re downsizing, trading up or getting on to the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you.”

The list in full

Listed are the towns, cities and villages across the country that were named the best places to live in the UK for 2023, according to the Sunday Times.

Overall best place to live in the UK

  • Wadhurst, East Sussex

East of England

  • Winner: Saffron Walden, Essex
  • Aylsham, Norfolk
  • Bourn, Cambridgeshire
  • Buckhurst Hill, Essex
  • Dedham Vale, Suffolk
  • Felixstowe, Suffolk
  • Norwich

London

  • Winner: Crouch End
  • Beckenham
  • Hackney borders N1 and E8
  • Earlsfield
  • King’s Cross
  • Notting Hill
  • Woolwich

Midlands

  • Winner: Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
  • Digbeth, Stirchley, Birmingham
  • Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire
  • Great Malvern, Worcestershire
  • Market Harborough, Leicestershire
  • Melbourne, Derbyshire
  • Rutland
Donaghadee in Co Down was named the best place to live in Northern Ireland (Photo: Adobe)Donaghadee in Co Down was named the best place to live in Northern Ireland (Photo: Adobe)
Donaghadee in Co Down was named the best place to live in Northern Ireland (Photo: Adobe)

Northern Ireland

  • Winner: Donaghadee, Co Down
  • Ormeau, Belfast
  • Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh

North and North East England

  • Winner: Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
  • Holmfirth, West Yorkshire
  • Ilkley, West Yorkshire
  • Leeds
  • Ouseburn, Newcastle
  • Sheffield
  • Thirsk, North Yorkshire
  • Wooler, Northumberland

North West

  • Winner: Liverpool
  • Manchester
  • Penrith, Cumbria
  • Rawtenstall, Lancashire
  • Sale, Greater Manchester
  • Stockport, Greater Manchester
  • Tarporley, Cheshire
Dunkeld in Perthshire claimed the top spot in Scotland (Photo: Adobe)Dunkeld in Perthshire claimed the top spot in Scotland (Photo: Adobe)
Dunkeld in Perthshire claimed the top spot in Scotland (Photo: Adobe)

Scotland

  • Winner: Dunkeld, Perthshire
  • East Linton, East Lothian
  • Portobello, Edinburgh
  • Shawlands, Glasgow
  • Newport-on-Tay, Fife
  • Orkney
  • Tighnabruaich, Argyll and Bute

South East England

  • Winner: Chichester, West Sussex
  • Alresford, Hampshire
  • Brighton and Hove, Seven Dials
  • Folkestone, Kent
  • Guildford, Surrey
  • Lindfield, West Sussex
  • (East) Oxford
  • Reading, Berkshire
  • Reigate, Surrey
  • Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire

South West England

  • Winner: Cirencester, Gloucestershire
  • Bishopsteignton, Devon
  • Bristol
  • Broad Chalke, Wiltshire
  • The Chew Valley, Somerset
  • Marlborough, Wiltshire
  • Penzance, Cornwall
  • Poundbury, Dorset
  • Winner: Ruthin, Denbighshire
  • Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
  • Barmouth, Gwynedd
  • Pontcanna, Cardiff
  • Gower Peninsula, Swansea
  • Narberth, Pembrokeshire
  • Solva, Pembrokeshire

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