These are the best 70 places to live across the UK

The 2022 edition of the eagerly anticipated Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide has been released.

This year, a West Yorkshire spa town has been given the coveted top spot.

Ilkley in West Yorkshire topped a list of 70 locations which represent the best of the UK in what is the 10th Best Places to Live Guide from the newspaper.

So, why was Ilkley ranked the best, what are the other places on the list, and how was the list compiled?

This is what you need to know.

Why was Ilkley ranked the best place to live in the UK?

Ilkley in West Yorkshire has won the top spot in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2022, because of its top schools, interesting shops, picturesque scenery and convenient rail links.

The judges were impressed by the town’s sports clubs and the opportunities they offer for young people.

They also praised the energetic community spirit and noted that volunteering is a big part of life there, and said that the town’s “lovely” cinema and “thriving” market were all launched by locals.

Guide editor Tim Palmer said Ilkley has everything you need, including “top-class schools, a buzzing high street and breathtaking views.”

Which other locations are included on the list?

Another area in West Yorkshire, the village of Slaithwaite has also been named the best place to live in the North and Northeast of England as part of the guide.

Crystal Palace was chosen as the best place to live in London in the guide, and in Wales Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire took the top spot.

Meanwhile, Ballycastle in Co Antrim took the prize in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Bute in Argyll claimed the coveted first place in Scotland.

What is the full list of winners?

The full 70 locations listed on the Sunday Times Best Places to Live are below.

Apart from the regional winners highlighted, the other locations are not ranked and are listed in alphabetical order.

North and Northeast

Winner: Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire 

Cawthorne, South Yorkshire  

Great Ayton, Cleveland Hills, North Yorkshire 

Harrogate, North Yorkshire 

Hovingham, North Yorkshire  

Ilkley, West Yorkshire 

Leeds city centre 

Morpeth, Northumberland 

Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear 

East of England

Winner: Norwich

Boxford, Suffolk

Great Massingham, Norfolk

Leigh-on-sea, Essex

St Ives, Cambridgeshire

Saffron Waldon, Essex

Woodbright, Suffolk

London

Winner: Crystal Palace

Hanwell

King’s Cross

New Malden

Teddington

Victoria Park

Midlands

Winner: Uppingham, Rutland

Birmingham

Ellesmere, Shropshire

Hathersage, Derbyshire

Lincoln Cliff Villages, Lincolnshire

Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

Shipston-on-stour, Warwickshire

Northern Ireland

Winner: Ballycastle, Co Antrim

Londonderry

Helen’s Bay, Co Down

Northwest

Trawden, Lancashire

Altricham, Great Manchester

Chrisleton, Cheshire

Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria

Prestwich, Great Manchester

West Kirby, Merseyside

Scotland

Winner: Isle of Bute, Argyll

Braemar, Aberdeenshire

Culross, Fife

Dunblane, Stirling

Shawlands, Glasgow

Melrose, Borders

North Berwick, East Lothian

Southeast

Winner: Sevenoaks, Kent

Brighton

Cookham, Berkshire

Deal, Kent

Englefield Green, Surrey

Farnham, Surrey

Olney, Buckinghamshire

Reading, Berkshire

St Albans, Hertfordshire

Test Valley, Hampshire

Southwest

Winner: Chalke Valley, Wiltshire

Bridport, Dorset

Bristol

Budleigh Salterton, Dorset

Charlton Kings, Gloucestershire

Dartmoor, Devon

Sherborne, Dorset

Stroud, Gloucestershire

Wellow, Somerset

Wales

Winner: Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire

Conwy, Gwynedd

Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan

Ruthin, Denbighshire

St Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire

Usk, Monmouthshire