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?
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Hide AdIlkley 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.
They 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.
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Hide AdGuide 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.
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Hide AdNorth and Northeast
Winner: Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
Cawthorne, South Yorkshire
Great Ayton, Cleveland Hills, North Yorkshire
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Hide AdHarrogate, North Yorkshire
Hovingham, North Yorkshire
Ilkley, West Yorkshire
Leeds city centre
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Hide AdMorpeth, Northumberland
Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear
East of England
Winner: Norwich
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Hide AdBoxford, Suffolk
Great Massingham, Norfolk
Leigh-on-sea, Essex
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
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Hide AdSaffron Waldon, Essex
Woodbright, Suffolk
London
Winner: Crystal Palace
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Hide AdHanwell
King’s Cross
New Malden
Teddington
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Hide AdVictoria Park
Midlands
Winner: Uppingham, Rutland
Birmingham
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Hide AdEllesmere, Shropshire
Hathersage, Derbyshire
Lincoln Cliff Villages, Lincolnshire
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
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Hide AdShipston-on-stour, Warwickshire
Northern Ireland
Winner: Ballycastle, Co Antrim
Londonderry
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Hide AdHelen’s Bay, Co Down
Northwest
Trawden, Lancashire
Altricham, Great Manchester
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Hide AdChrisleton, Cheshire
Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
Prestwich, Great Manchester
West Kirby, Merseyside
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Hide AdScotland
Winner: Isle of Bute, Argyll
Braemar, Aberdeenshire
Culross, Fife
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Hide AdDunblane, Stirling
Shawlands, Glasgow
Melrose, Borders
North Berwick, East Lothian
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Winner: Sevenoaks, Kent
Brighton
Cookham, Berkshire
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Hide AdDeal, Kent
Englefield Green, Surrey
Farnham, Surrey
Olney, Buckinghamshire
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Hide AdReading, Berkshire
St Albans, Hertfordshire
Test Valley, Hampshire
Southwest
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Hide AdWinner: Chalke Valley, Wiltshire
Bridport, Dorset
Bristol
Budleigh Salterton, Dorset
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Hide AdCharlton Kings, Gloucestershire
Dartmoor, Devon
Sherborne, Dorset
Stroud, Gloucestershire
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Hide AdWellow, Somerset
Wales
Winner: Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
Conwy, Gwynedd
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Hide AdPenarth, Vale of Glamorgan
Ruthin, Denbighshire
St Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire
Usk, Monmouthshire