The historic city with a ‘small-town feel’ named the best place to live in the UK
Norwich has been named the UK’s leading place to live in the Sunday Times’ annual guide. The historic city tops a list of 72 places in the “Best Places to Live” guide, which will be published online this Friday, with an abridged version published in a magazine supplement on Sunday, March 22.
The city of Norfolk took the top spot for its unique blend of historic appeal, lively urban atmosphere and overall ‘livability’. Norwich in particular is the only place to feature in all 14 editions of the prestigious guide.
The judges praised Norwich as a creative and cosmopolitan hub that retained a small-town feel, praising its “green conscience and warm heart”. They highlighted the city’s ability to offer residents the best of both urban conveniences and rural living. At its core, Norwich has a vibrant market as well as numerous cultural attractions, including theatres, music venues, a historic castle and a thriving scene of independent shops, cafes and bars.
The guide’s authors carefully considered a range of factors, from local schools and transport links to broadband speeds, mobile signal, amenities, access to high-quality green spaces and the vibrancy of the high street.
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.
“It is full of natural beauty, culture, connection and, most importantly, a sense of community, as well as places that show our village, town and city centers can still be full of life.
“Our expert judges traveled all over the UK, from the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast, selecting the best towns and villages, suburbs and cities for the 2026 guide.
“What all the places we choose have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home.”
The guide is sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group.
Lloyds director of relationships and client development Kate Townson said navigating the housing market “can be overwhelming” for many people, adding that the bank’s partnership with the guide “aims to provide trusted information about communities across the UK and help homebuyers make confident, informed decisions about their future homes.”
The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide 2026 has identified an overall national winner, with 10 winners from UK nations or territories.
These include the Yorkshire market town of Skipton, which was named the happiest place to live in 2025 by Rightmove in December.
Here is the list of winners from The Sunday Times:
– 1 (National winner) Norwich, Norfolk (East England)
– 2 Malmesbury, Wiltshire (Southwest England)
“The ever-improving high street is the star of the show in a historic town that is a safe place for families to put down roots. There are lots of activities: sports clubs, a theater group and hard-working community groups.
“The state schools are excellent, there are jobs at Dyson Creative Campus and although there is no station, Bristol, Bath and London are easily accessible.”
– 3 Captains, north yorkshire (North and north-east England)
“Skipton has a proper foundation and is strongly connected to the stunning surrounding landscape. It is a place where traditional businesses thrive and is a haven for families attracted by excellent schools.
“The volunteering culture is strong, such as Share Skipton, which runs a Library of Things that allows members to borrow everything from a disco ball to a leaf blower, and also runs monthly repair cafes.”
– 4 Lindfield, West Sussex (Southeast England)
“Lindfield has enough reliable schools, smart shops, amenities and connections to satisfy even the most die-hard house hunter. But it’s equally perfect for more romantic souls ready to be enchanted by the duck pond, enviable period homes, warm and welcoming community and the Sussex countryside.”
5 Malverns, Worcestershire (Midlands)
“The Malverns offer a majestic setting, elegant towns and villages and an exciting cultural scene that goes well beyond the inevitable Elgar connections.
“There’s something for everyone here: jobs, interesting shops, cafes and restaurants and useful rail links. There are wonderful walks across fern-covered hills, with stunning views across to Wales.”
– 6 Usk, Monmouthshire (Wales)
“Volunteers take part in everything at the ‘flower town’, from planting 2,500 plants to claim the latest British gold trophy in Bloom to staging the annual Usk Spectacular. It’s a place where wild swimmers are campaigning for £10 million of wastewater improvements to tackle river pollution, providing nesting boxes for swallows.”
– 7 Linlithgow, West Lothian (Scotland)
“The historic town was chosen as a family-friendly hotspot between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
“Residents of this central belt can enjoy a medieval high street, outstanding schools and the great outdoors. This is the kind of town where lollipop people know everyone’s name and give treats to the dogs.”
– 8 Ballycastle, Co Antrim (Northern Ireland)
“Ballycastle is a town with beautiful surroundings and a big beating heart, always on display at library meets, mental health support charity Solas, a thriving independent high street and a vibrant pub scene.
“The long beach is a meeting point for dog walkers, bird watchers and swimmers.”
– 9 Richmond, (London)
“The lucky folk of TW11 are spoiled for ways to enjoy a break in this leafy tranquil corner of the capital.
“No wonder Richmond is regularly voted London’s happiest borough. Options include a riverside walk or the stunning 2,500-acre Royal Park.
“Richmond, with its picturesque green, resembles a small town within a big city. Main Street is on the rise after the recession, and a new spring is beginning on the restaurant scene.”
– 10 Altrincham, Greater Manchester (Northwest England)
“Stylish, cool and effortlessly comfortable, Alty is a world-class town brimming with independent businesses and big brands. Now it’s flying even higher.
“The co-working space has arrived on the high street of the former Rackhams department store. The leisure center reopened in August 2025 following a £20m refurbishment, the market food hall attracts diners from across the region and the schools are among the most successful in the country.”
Previous winners of The Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live in Britain include: Stamford, Lincolnshire (2013); Skipton, North Yorkshire (2014); Newnham, Cambridge (2015); Winchester, Hampshire (2016); Bristol (2017), York (2018), Salisbury, Wiltshire (2019), Altrincham, Cheshire (2020) Stroud, Gloucestershire (2021), Ilkley, West Yorkshire (2022) Wadhurst, East Sussex (2023), North Berwick, East Lothian (2024) and Saffron Walden, Essex (2025).
