We may be tired of hearing how great Manchester is, and how seemingly a new place every couple of months is the ‘best place to live’, but it’s the new year, and we need some positivity. One difference this time is that the spot we’re highlighting isn’t actually in Manchester – God forbid – but in Lancashire. Just a stone’s throw from Manchester, and bordering Bolton, the lovely town of Chorley has been named in The Times‘ ‘Best Places to Live in the UK‘ list.
Each and every year, The Times publish their list of the best and brightest places to reside in the country. But whilst the results are usually based purely on local knowledge and critical acclaim; this time round, they’ve taken things a bit more seriously, and based their findings on cold, hard facts.
The survey looked at data from every local authority in Britain, taking into account a range of different factors. The facts and figures were compiled by a team of researchers, based on categories including Ofsted ratings, crime rates, number of listed properties, green spaces, and GP satisfaction – and just within the top 10 was Chorley.
Boasting houses with a price tag of just £202,521, Chorley in Lancashire took ninth place. The town offers a rejuvenated high street, with shops, cafes and bars welcoming locals and visitors alike, plus several beautiful historic buildings. St George’s Parish Church stands tall at the end of the high street, plus the Preston England Mormon Temple with a huge spire that can be seen for miles around, and of course, its own town hall.
The Market Walk shopping centre offers a variety of shops and entertainment spots including a cinema, served by Chorley train station which offers passengers access to Manchester and further north into Lancashire towards Blackpool. Chorley also offers beautiful walks and scenery if you go further out, with part of Rivington being within the town limits, Denham Hill Quarry being nearby and the gorgeous Elizabethan Astley Hall and Park providing some heritage on the bank of the River Chor.
Richmond in west London took the top spot, with an 80% GP satisfaction rate and the lowest crime rate in London. It has an average house price of £748,000, 48% higher than the London average – that average house price is pretty inconceivable, but my goodness, is it a pretty place to live?
Joining Chorley as one of the best places to live in UK is Ribble Valley in Lancashire, which came in fifth place and was the regional winner for the North West. It has the second-lowest crime rate in the country and an average house price of £274,000, and was commended for top notch public services. Lancashire neighbour Fylde came just behind in sixth place, putting Lancashire firmly in the minds of house hunters.
The top 10 best places to live in the UK
- Richmond
- Cheltenham
- Stroud
- Merton
- Ribble Valley
- Fylde
- The Cotswolds
- Sutton
- Chorley
- Bath and North East Somerset
Chorley may not be in Greater Manchester, but it’s close enough for us, and we’re lucky to be able to access Lancashire so easily in our neck of the woods – plus, it’s probably cheaper than Manchester… maybe we should all move there. You can see all the data from the study here.