These are the best 70 places to live across the UK
The 2022 edition of the eagerly anticipated Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide has been released.
This year, a West Yorkshire spa town has been given the coveted top spot.
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Hide AdIlkley in West Yorkshire topped a list of 70 locations which represent the best of the UK in what is the 10th Best Places to Live Guide from the newspaper.
So, why was Ilkley ranked the best, what are the other places on the list, and how was the list compiled?
This is what you need to know.
Why was Ilkley ranked the best place to live in the UK?
Ilkley in West Yorkshire has won the top spot in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2022, because of its top schools, interesting shops, picturesque scenery and convenient rail links.
The judges were impressed by the town’s sports clubs and the opportunities they offer for young people.
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Hide AdThey also praised the energetic community spirit and noted that volunteering is a big part of life there, and said that the town’s “lovely” cinema and “thriving” market were all launched by locals.
Guide editor Tim Palmer said Ilkley has everything you need, including “top-class schools, a buzzing high street and breathtaking views.”
Which other locations are included on the list?
Another area in West Yorkshire, the village of Slaithwaite has also been named the best place to live in the North and Northeast of England as part of the guide.
Crystal Palace was chosen as the best place to live in London in the guide, and in Wales Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire took the top spot.
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Hide AdMeanwhile, Ballycastle in Co Antrim took the prize in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Bute in Argyll claimed the coveted first place in Scotland.
What is the full list of winners?
The full 70 locations listed on the Sunday Times Best Places to Live are below.
Apart from the regional winners highlighted, the other locations are not ranked and are listed in alphabetical order.
North and Northeast
Winner: Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
Cawthorne, South Yorkshire
Great Ayton, Cleveland Hills, North Yorkshire
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Hovingham, North Yorkshire
Ilkley, West Yorkshire
Leeds city centre
Morpeth, Northumberland
Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear
East of England
Winner: Norwich
Boxford, Suffolk
Great Massingham, Norfolk
Leigh-on-sea, Essex
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
Saffron Waldon, Essex
Woodbright, Suffolk
London
Winner: Crystal Palace
Hanwell
King’s Cross
New Malden
Teddington
Victoria Park
Midlands
Winner: Uppingham, Rutland
Birmingham
Ellesmere, Shropshire
Hathersage, Derbyshire
Lincoln Cliff Villages, Lincolnshire
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
Shipston-on-stour, Warwickshire
Northern Ireland
Winner: Ballycastle, Co Antrim
Londonderry
Helen’s Bay, Co Down
Northwest
Trawden, Lancashire
Altricham, Great Manchester
Chrisleton, Cheshire
Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
Prestwich, Great Manchester
West Kirby, Merseyside
Scotland
Winner: Isle of Bute, Argyll
Braemar, Aberdeenshire
Culross, Fife
Dunblane, Stirling
Shawlands, Glasgow
Melrose, Borders
North Berwick, East Lothian
Southeast
Winner: Sevenoaks, Kent
Brighton
Cookham, Berkshire
Deal, Kent
Englefield Green, Surrey
Farnham, Surrey
Olney, Buckinghamshire
Reading, Berkshire
St Albans, Hertfordshire
Test Valley, Hampshire
Southwest
Winner: Chalke Valley, Wiltshire
Bridport, Dorset
Bristol
Budleigh Salterton, Dorset
Charlton Kings, Gloucestershire
Dartmoor, Devon
Sherborne, Dorset
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Wellow, Somerset
Wales
Winner: Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
Conwy, Gwynedd
Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan
Ruthin, Denbighshire
St Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire
Usk, Monmouthshire