Britain's 'happiest places to live' named, including 'best kept secret' where a 3-bed house costs £65,000

• Britain’s 25 ‘happiest places to live’ have been named by the Guardian
• The list is based on factors ranging from the natural environment to broadband speeds, transport links, culture and community
• They range from sought-after London suburbs where million pound houses are the norm to one of the north’s ‘best kept secrets’ where you can get a three-bedroom home for £65,000

Britain’s ‘happiest’ places to live have been named, including one area making a long-overdue ‘resurgence’ where you can find a charming three-bedroom house for just £65,000.

The Guardian has compiled its list of the happiest places for its readers, but even devotees of the Daily Mail and the Telegraph will find something to love in these cities, towns and villages.

The Guardian’s list is based on a variety of factors which the paper says are most important to its readers.

They include access to nature, whether that’s rolling countryside, lush parks or the scenic coast, proximity to GPs and hospitals, and air quality.

Broadband speeds, transport connections, crime figures and local cinemas, theatres, museums, pubs, libraries and other cultural and community assets were also taken into account when compiling the list.

Berwick-upon-Tweed, in Northumberland, tops the Guardian’s list of the happiest places to live, with the paper describing the area once dubbed the ‘Alexandria of the north’ as an ‘overlooked jewel’ with ‘community spirit in bundles’.

Evesham, in Worcestershire, is second, thanks to its abundance of Georgian and Tudor architecture, pretty parks, family-friendly events and lovely riverside walks.

And Caernarfon in Wales rounds out the top three, with its wealth of culture, pretty harbour and easy access to both the dramatic mountains of Snowdonia and the sandy beaches of the Llŷn Peninsula.

The other places are listed in no particular order as the best of the rest from around the South, the North, London, Wales and Scotland.

Among them is the lesser-known gem of Padiham near Burnley, Lancashire, which the Guardian says ‘might be one of the north of England’s best kept secrets’.

A £1.4 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it says, has helped lift the ‘gloom’ and shine a new light on the town, with its great selection of independent shops and cafes, a ‘delicious’ food emporium and a popular new micropub called The Taproom.

The spectacular Lancashire countryside is on your doorstep and Padiham Memorial Park is a popular spot too.

With a ‘charming’ three-bed terrace house on sale for £65,000, it’s no surprise Padiham is attracting so many city dwellers from Manchester, which is less than 50 minutes away by car.

Joe Halstead, owner of the local estate agent Halstead Properties, told us: “If someone rang me up looking for somewhere in the local area, I would definitely push them towards Padiham. It’s a really up-and-coming area.

“It took a bit of a dip in the past but things have changed and if you look along the main strip people are really trying to take care of it.

“The old bank’s been done up nicely and other buildings have been restored to how they once were too.

“You have good schools, good links for commuting and in five minutes you’re out into the countryside.

“You’ve got some lovely little local shops, delis and cafes. It’s got a lot going for it.”

The full list of the Guardian’s happiest places to live in Britain is below.

Top 3

Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

Evesham, Worcestershire

Caernarfon, Wales

North

Durham

York

Padiham

South

Devizes

Lewes

Newport, Isle of Wight

Exeter

Penzance

Chichester

Cirencester

Aylesbury

Midlands

Chesterfield

Shrewsbury

Worcester

Scotland

Perth

Haddington

Wales

Aberystwyth

London

The Ridgeway, Enfield

Surbiton North

Clapham Junction

Bounds Green

Bromley

You can see the full list and read more about each of the places featured here.

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