The happiest places to live in Britain, including the gorgeous town that's 'like living in a Constable painting'

Christmas seems to have come early in Woodbridge. The Suffolk market town has been declared the happiest place to live in Britain for the first time.

According to Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index, Woodbridge has beaten perennial favourites Richmond-upon-Thames, Monmouth and Hexham to the top spot.

Residents of Woodbridge gave it particularly high scores for feeling that they are able to be themselves, the community spirit and friendliness, and access to essential services such as doctors or schools.

Located on the edge of the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape, Woodbridge was once famous for its shipbuilding and sail making. Today, its star attractions include the Tide Mill and Sutton Hoo.

It's like living in a Constable painting, basically.

Tim Stephens of Humberts, says residents enjoy a healthy lifestyle with sailing, golf and outdoor activities free from the traffic jams and pressures of commuter belt living in the South East.

‘Woodbridge is well known for its friendly, unostentatious community, excellent shops, delicatessens, parking, lovely pubs and restaurants,’ explains Stephens.

‘There are highly regarded schools in the area, good doctor surgeries and dentists. London is accessible via the A12, about 75 miles distant, so residents do not feel too far removed from the City. A rail service from Woodbridge to Ipswich takes 20 minutes with onward connections to London taking 75 minutes.’

Woodbridge is not completely new to Rightmove’s index. It came in third place in 2022 before falling to 17th last year. So, what’s happened to push Woodbridge right to the very top in 2024? The number of people completing Rightmove’s study has crept up, with the figure jumping from 26,000 in 2023 to 35,000 this year. That difference of 9,000 is not dissimilar to the reported population of Woodbridge. We're wondering: has there been a campaign in the town?!

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert, says: ‘First place Woodbridge appears to have a lot of the factors that people are looking for from an area, including being close to a river and a National Landscape. It’s the intangible factors of feeling proud to live in an area, feeling a sense of belonging, and feeling able to be yourself that are the biggest drivers of happiness.’

Woodbridge has knocked Richmond-upon-Thames off the top spot. Known for its leafy parks, renowned botanic garden, high-end boutiques, cafes and eateries, and transport links straight into the heart of London, this chi-chi corner of the capital has slipped to second place this year.

‘One foot in London, the other in Surrey - Richmond gives a glorious balance of practicality and charm. Six miles from central London, and well connected by train and tube, it has a bustling high street and great selection of high-end restaurants,’ explains Deborah Moriarty of Richard Winter Property Search.

‘But its heart comes from the wealth of green spaces, the rows of elegant period houses, the Tudor history, the vibrant riverside, and the boutique village feel of Richmond Hill.’

Hexham in Northumberland has climbed to third place, from 10th last year. This small town offers rugged beauty in spades: it’s nestled between Northumberland National Park and the North Pennines National Landscape. A sure-fire mood-lifter.

On the subject of rugged beauty, Monmouth in Wales is in hot pursuit, in fourth place. It’s located on the doorstep of the Wye Valley National Landscape. Given Monmouth’s stronghold in the ranking (it has dropped just one place since last year), there seems little doubt that the residents love it there.

Harrogate in North Yorkshire comes in fifth place, up from 12th in 2023. After all, who wouldn’t be happy to live in close proximity to Bettys, the famous tea rooms? I can personally vouch for their sweet treats. And let’s not forget the magnificent Yorkshire Dales National Park nearby.

Skipton, also in North Yorkshire, has kept its place sixth in the ranking. I have to confess, it is not a town I know. But the Yorkshire Dales National Park website makes it sound absolutely charming: ‘nostalgic cobbled side streets’, ‘magnificent castle’, ‘traditional high street market place with radiating alleys and covered passages’.

Sounds good, right? You can also get this sort of house there for £550k.

New to the ranking this year is Sevenoaks, Kent, in seventh place, and while it's one of the most expensive towns on the list — with average house prices approaching £900k — you can still find a family home in the sub-£600k bracket.

And fellow commuter town, Wokingham, Berkshire, comes in 10th. They’re popular places for commuters but with all due respect, can they really be among the 10 happiest places to live? I dare say residents would argue that these two offer the best of both worlds: proximity to London and beautiful countryside.

The coastal town of Leigh-on-Sea in Essex takes the eighth spot, edging up from 11th last year. The draw of fresh sea air is hard to resist, eh?

And finally, residents of Cirencester have given their historic market town the big thumbs up. The popularity of the Cotswolds seems to know no bounds…

Source: Rightmove

Credit: Getty

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