Felixstowe and Dedham Vale in Suffolk named as 'best places to live' in Sunday Times guide for the East of England
Two Suffolk locations have been named amongst the best places to live by the Sunday Times.
Felixstowe and Dedham Vale, which lies on the Suffolk-Essex border, have both been listed in the newspaper's Best Places to Live Guide 2023 - in the East of England category.
Saffron Walden, Essex, has been named as the best place to live.
The newspaper produces an annual list of the cities, towns and villages offering the best quality of life.
Apart from the regional winner, locations are not ranked, but listed in alphabetical order.
The East of Engliand locations listed this year are:
Winner
Saffron Walden, Essex
Always beautiful, this historic market town is now adding a touch of youthful vigour to its highbrow credentials. Young families are moving in, attracted in part by the excellent schools and it’s as dog-friendly as it is family-friendly. Cool new bars, shops and restaurants are opening, with local produce to the fore, and the market is a highlight of the week.
Aylsham, Norfolk
Aylsham is the perfect advert for small-town living. It’s perfectly placed for the best of Norfolk, with the coast, the Broads and Norwich all within easy reach. With its excellent butcher and baker, the town centre has all you need and the slow food festival is just one way that a lively community shows its commitment to sustainability and living well.
Bourn, Cambridgeshire
A combination of community spirit and traditional picturesque backdrop of neat cottages, and ancient windmill and babbling brook make this village stand out from the crowd, along with a thriving high street that meets daily needs.
Buckhurst Hill, Essex
Its hair salons and nail bars mark out Buckhurst Hill as one of the corners of Towie’s Golden Triangle, but the star attraction is the wild expanse of Epping Forest. There are plenty of sports clubs, and the town shows its caring side through a new community pantry and a Memory Café for people living with dementia and their carers.
Dedham Vale, Suffolk-Essex border
For anyone who wants to live close to nature while remaining within range of the capital, Dedham Vale is the perfect option.
This is prime – and fiercely protected – countryside for every level of activity, from birdwatching and walking to running, cycling and messing about in boats on the Stour.
Our favourite village, Polstead, is a picture of pastoral innocence with a lively and friendly community.
Felixstowe, Suffolk
Old Felixstowe is friendlier and cheaper than the more favoured resorts further up the Suffolk coast, and it has one of only two blue flag beaches in the county. Away from the port, it’s beautiful, too -- especially around the tiny hamlet of Felixstowe Ferry. A vast programme of regeneration has paid dividends.
Norwich, Norfolk
Norwich is a regular fixture in our Best Places to Live series. It’s the UK’s most complete medieval city which also boasts bold modern architecture, and it’s a creative, artistic and literary powerhouse. Most impressive is its ability to move with the times, with a commitment to sustainability on show in its cycleways and an app that allows people to hire pedal bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters.
The Sunday Times Guide, now in its 11th year, includes 72 locations across the UK, in total.
Judges visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street.
Helen Davies, editor, said: “When times are tough, where we live matters more than ever.
"Attractive surroundings, good neighbours and a comfortable home are the best defences when the stresses of modern life seem overwhelming."
For results across the UK, visit www.thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-live
Kim Kinnaird, the director of Halifax Mortgages, and guide sponsor, said: “At Halifax, we know it’s where you live that really makes somewhere feel like ‘home’."
