Thinking of upping sticks this year? Maybe you’re dreaming of a storybook village with thatched cottages or craving a city postcode with more restaurants than you could ever eat your way through. Whatever your vibe, lifestyle guide Muddy Stilettos has you covered with its pick of the best places to live in every British region in 2025 as voted by readers.
Topping the list was under-the-radar market town of Dursley in Gloucestershire, owing to its ‘arty community, thriving high street and lush countryside walks’. Elsewhere, Islington took London’s crown with its gastropubs and Georgian terraces, while York, Frome and Worthing showed off their cobbled charm, creative buzz and seaside swagger.
Riverfront gems like Henley-on-Thames and Bradford on Avon also made the cut, alongside foodie favourites Bakewell and Knutsford and coastal hotspots Penzance and Cowes.
The best place to live in every UK region in 2025, according to Muddy Stilettos
- Bedfordshire: Ampthill
- Berkshire: Pangbourne
- Buckinghamshire: Amersham
- Cambridgeshire: Ely
- Cheshire: Knutsford
- Cornwall: Penzance
- Derbyshire: Bakewell
- Devon: Bampton
- Dorset: Sherborne
- Essex: Chelmsford
- Gloucestershire: Dursley
- Hampshire & Isle of Wight: Cowes
- Hertfordshire: Hitchin
- Kent: Sevenoaks
- Leicestershire & Rutland: Ashby-de-la-Zouch
- London: Islington
- Norfolk: Norwich
- Nottinghamshire: West Bridgford
- Northamptonshire: Oundle
- Oxfordshire: Henley-on-Thames
- Somerset & Bristol: Frome
- Suffolk: Bury St Edmunds
- Surrey: Guildford
- Sussex: Worthing
- Warwickshire: Warwick
- West Midlands: Hampton-in-Arden
- Wiltshire: Bradford on Avon
- Worcestershire: Malvern
- Yorkshire: York
Find Muddy Stilettos’ full list of the best places to live in Britain here.
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