Best place to live in the UK

[crazyhorses3]

Where is the best place to live in the UK in your opinion and why? I am looking to move and have been searching for some time without success so thinking about looking in a new area. It's doing my head in. I want to live a rural/semi rural life but reasonably close to good transport links and culture. Friendly people. a decent airport within a couple of hours, good community. Half of me wants to live in a rural community with great views etc, but the other half does not want to travel too far for a culture fix/shops/airport/train station etc. I work from home. Perhaps I'm asking far too much.

North Derbyshire then!

You may think me mad, but consider Birmingham. I moved here from London last year and love it. We live 2 miles from the city centre but drive out another 15-20 mins and you can be in some beautiful countryside locations. The symphony hall, ICC etc. are great for culture, restaurants are fab, airport has great international links and they're pouring money into developing the city centre like you wouldn't believe.

Chester's a great place to live! Near to Liverpool and Manchester for museums and galleries and bigger events and only about 2 hours direct train into London. Lots going on in Chester as well and great shopping in and around the city.
House prices are pretty reasonable even in great areas and the city is beautiful.
Also right on the edge of beautiful countryside and some lovely rural villages that are still not too far removed from civilisation!

Guildford is great. 40mins to London, the downs in walking distance, plenty of restraunts and theatre.

Sorry, thought this hadn't posted, so I posted another! Apologies for confusion! Funnily enough two people I know have been raving about Chester. I have never been , but looked on right move today. Looks like an option.

I am not keen on Birmingham, know it fairly well, it's too urban. I love Guildford but it's too expensive. Don't know Derbyshire, but shall investigate.

I went to Chester recently and it was fantastic. Really loved it.

I live in Hertfordshire (and I am very happy here) but really rate Chester. If it we were to make a big move, Chester would be a consideration.

So the Isle of Man isn't in the UK, but is British Isles.

We love it here. Relaxed, safe, rural, and flights to London, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, etc all fairly cheaply if you book clever and quicker than a train or drive from other parts of UK.

Oh, and Low tax

Falmouth came top in the Sunday times list of the best places to live in the U.K. Can't say I disagree!

Bristol has been top of some polls. However it suffers from very slow traffic and house prices are high.

many places in Scotland the criteria

North east

Bath or Bristol

If you want rural aim for southwest of either of those.

Stroud or wotton under edge

If you have to live in the UK then the south east coast. Good beaches and the best weather.

Try Hereford or Worcester, plenty going on and brum is accessible too

Yy to the slow traffic in Bristol, it's one of the reasons we left.

Doesn't Winchester often come out top of these lists? I think that ticks all your boxes tbh.

Definitely Chester. Lovely city, lovely countryside.

The train service from Winchester to London is a nightmare.

Within a 1 hour commute of Edinburgh. You'll be both very rural (with a v. low crime rate, loads of wildlife, etc.) and within easy reach of a gorgeous city. Melrose, North Berwick, Dunbar, are all lovely towns that come within that.

reasonably close to good transport links and culture

What do you mean by this; near a port, airport, motorway, major train line?
Culture - opera, ballet, musical theatre, art gallery, museums, nightclubs, bingo?

Well OP, north Derbyshire is a half hour train ride from Manchester city centre with everything that has to offer and you have the Peak District on the doorstep. It is a beautiful area. Lots of the towns and villages have their own traditional festivals and carnivals.

There's even an express bus to Manchester Airport and once the new relief road is completed then it should be even easier to get to. If you have any questions, just ask.

Sherborne in Dorset.

Pretty market town with decent shops and restaurants
Mainline to London (just over 2hrs)
Exeter 1hr on the train for decent shops
Bristol/ Southampton/ Exeter airports all 2hrs
Rural feel, slower pace of life, close to AONB
Weymouth 30mis for a walk on the beach, Jurassic coast 45 mins for stunning views

Chew valley near Bristol is lovely. Close to Bristol airport and Bristol itself is great.

Countryside around Chester too. Chester is gorgeous with lovely shops. You can get to the coast easily as well. Liverpool airport isn't far.

Harrogate? Also gorgeous with the North York Moors on your doorstep and the Yorkshire coast. Not sure about airports though.

We live in Altrincham which is a suburb of Manchester. 10 mins from the airport and 25 mins on the tram into Manchester. It's not rural but there are villages like Ashley and Mobberley nearby.