Northern village named best place to live in the UK 2022
11 April 2022, 13:24 | Updated: 11 April 2022, 14:28
The best places to live in England have been revealed, with a village in West Yorkshire topping the list.
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A West Yorkshire spa town has been crowned the best place to live in England.
Topping a list of 70 locations, the picturesque town of Ilkley is situated in the Wharfe Valley, at the southern end of the Yorkshire Dales.
The Sunday Times’ expert judges behind the Best Places to Live guide use a wide range of factors to assess each town, village or city, including schools, transport and culture.
And it looks like Ilkley succeeded on all that criteria, as the village was praised for its interesting shops and beautiful, as well as convenient rail links.
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The judges also said the village offered plenty of opportunities for young people and a lot of ‘community spirit’.
Overlooked by the famous Cow and Calf rock, Ilkley has a population of around 14,000 people and is just 30 minutes from Leeds on the train.
Tim Palmer, leading judge for the guide said: "Out of all the winners we have ever had Ilkley is the one that fits everything best with the fewest compromises. It is very much my favourite."
He praised Ilkley's independent businesses such as Ilkley Cinema and Community Cutlery, adding: "The cinema is fantastic - another example of local people getting things done. It is very tailored to its market with good wine, good food and very unique.
"The thing is it is all within walking distance. You can manage without a car. The best walks and shopping are from your doorstep.”
But if you want to live in Ilkley, it doesn’t come cheap, with the average house price sitting at £428,000.
Elsewhere on the list, there were plenty of local winners too, with Crystal Palace winning the best place to live in London thanks to a ‘hint of underground culture’ and family friendly vibe.
The Isle of Bute, Argyll, also came out on top in Scotland, while the colourful town of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire won for Wales.
Sevenoaks in Kent came out on top for the south east, while the coastal fishing village of Ballycastle, Co Antrim was the winner in Northern Ireland.
You can see the full list here.
