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I tried living in London once. It didn’t work out and I’ll likely never leave the South West again. For now, I’m pretty happy living in Bristol, but if I was going to move elsewhere, I wouldn’t want it to be too far from my friends, family and all the other incredible stuff this city has to offer.
If you take a quick peak at The Times‘ ‘Best Places to Live in the UK‘ list, I’m in luck. You’ll see we all have plenty of options – with four spots in the top 10 that are an hour or less from Bristol. The list even takes into account a range of different factors – including Ofsted ratings, crime rates, number of listed properties, green spaces, and GP satisfaction.
Where are the best places to live in the UK?
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Topping the list is Richmond in West London, but only finishing second on the list is Cheltenham, which is only an hour’s drive away from Bristol. Did you know that this historic Regency town, with a grand pump room and world-famous racecourse, “also has some of the lowest NHS waiting times in England”?
Meanwhile, the average house price in Cheltenham is £342,000, half that of Richmond. But, if you’re looking for somewhere a little closer to Bristol, you might want to check out the third best place to live in the UK: Stroud. “Notting Hill with wellies”, as it’s been called, is home to a lovely mix of independent shops and cafes, award-winning markets, and community festivals.
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Both sit on the edge of the Cotswolds, which here has also confusingly been included as the seventh-best place to live in the UK. But this could mean anywhere from Castle Combe to Bourton-on-the-Water. The Times does, however, highlight the limitations of data on the list — “there isn’t great data at the village or neighbourhood level”.
Rounding out the list is Bath in 10th, which we probably don’t need to sell you on. The Roman/Georgian city is a pure delight and well worth a day trip if you get the chance – especially if you’re a Bridgerton fan. But what about Bristol? Our hometown did feature, but down in 78th place. The less said about that the better we say…
To read more about The Times’ best places to live in the UK head here.