Some West Country towns and areas near to Bristol have been featured in a list of the UK’s ‘best places to live’. The Times has crunched the numbers to find out if facts and figures, rather than experts, can pinpoint the most liveable place in the country.
Trying something different when it comes to its annual list usually put together by a ream of esteemed judges, this year the list was put together using a combination of nine different data sets covering a range of categories, including crime rates, Ofsted reports, NHS statistics, listed buildings, community listed buildings, and how many parks with Green Flags could be found there.
Two towns in the South West are featured in the top three, with several others making it to the top 20. Coming first, though, was Richmond in London.
This was followed by Cheltenham and then Stroud. Also featured prominently on the list were the Cotswolds, Bath and North East Somerset as well as South Hams.
Eight of the first 20 locations featured on the list are in the South West. The news comes after Time Out crowned Bristol one of the best cities in the world this year.
But here are the 20 best places to live in England according to The Times:
1. Richmond, London
2. Cheltenham, South West
3. Stroud, South West
4. Merton, London
5. Ribble Valley, North West
6. Fylde, North West
7. The Cotswolds, South West
8. Sutton, London
9. Chorley, North West
10. Bath and North East Somerset, South West
11. South Hams, South West
12. Lancaster, North West
13. Mole Valley, South East
14. Cornwall, South West
15. Rossendale, North West
16. East Devon, South West
17. Wandsworth, London
18. Kingston, London
19. Gloucester, South West
20. West Lancashire, North West