The best places to live near London and nicest commuter towns (2026)

Moving somewhere new is never just about the property you’re living in. The neighbourhood surrounding that home is just as important a factor. Ensuring that area is the right one for you takes an awful lot of research. But that’s where lifestyle publication Muddy Stilettos can help. Its writers and editors have scoured every inch of the UK to create a guide to the 260 best places to live in the UK in 2027. 

To compile the enormous list, Muddy Stilettos delved into everything from sense of community, culture and shops to more practical things like schools, average house prices and commutes. Each region has eight or so towns and villages that made the list. We’ve covered the London locales deemed the best places to live, but of course not everyone wants to be in the city. If you want a quieter lifestyle that’s still within easy reach of the capital, consider settling in a home county. 

In Berkshire, Muddy Stilettos’ most desirable spots include Caversham and Cookham; in Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Amersham made the cut; and in Essex, Saffron Walden (previously named the east of England’s best place to live by the Times), Colchester and Chelmsford were among the top spots. 

Over in Kent, Sevenoaks (which is just 20 minutes from London by train) made the list for ‘schools, speed and serious amounts of green space’. Tunbridge Wells also featured thanks to its ‘best-of-both-worlds commuter lifestyle’. 

Hertfordshire’s top places to live included St Albans for its ‘great restaurants, indie shops, and a good dose of community spirit’ and Radlett, which the publication described as ‘moneyed, well-connected and surprisingly buzzy’. Meanwhile, Guildford, Farnham and Walton-on-Thames were among the hottest spots to live in Surrey. 

The best places to live near London, according to Muddy Stilettos

Berkshire

• Aldermaston
• Caversham
• Cookham
• Holyport
• Lambourn
• Pangbourne
• Sonning 
• Twyford

Buckinghamshire

• Amersham
• Long Crendon
• Marlow
• Milton Keynes
• Penn & Tylers Green
• Turville
• Wendover 
• Wooburn Green

Essex

• Billericay
• Bradwell-on-Sea
• Buckhurst Hill
• Chelmsford
• Colchester
• Leigh-on-Sea
• Manningtree
• Saffron Walden

Hertfordshire

• Berkhamsted
• Bishop’s Stortford
• Hitchin
• Knebworth
• Radlett
• St Albans
• Watton-at-Stone
• Wheathampstead

Kent

• Cranbrook 
• Marden
• Oare
• Penshurst
• Sandgate
• Sevenoaks
• Tunbridge Wells
• Wye

Surrey

• Esher
• Farnham
• Godalming
• Guildford
• Haslemere
• Oxted
• Ripley
• Walton-on-Thames 

The coolest neighbourhoods in the UK.

ICYMI: This fairytale village in Wales is one of the most beautiful places in Britain. 

Plus: 22 British restaurants were added to the Michelin Guide in October 2026. 

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