Saffron Walden – a market town in north-west Essex – tops the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live list, with its “rich cultural offering” and “exploding foodie scene”, according to the judges.
It joins other Essex towns on the guide, including Chelmsford and Wivenhoe, which would all make for great days out or short breaks if you live in Havering.
Meanwhile Walthamstow was named the best place to live in Greater London.
Saffron Walden is described as ‘delightful’ by Visit Essex (Image: Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre)
Visit Essex describes Saffron Walden as a “delightful medieval town” with a “rich heritage” and “charming” outdoor spaces.
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Some highlights include English Heritage’s Audley End House and Gardens – a mansion with stables and an organic kitchen garden – and St Mary’s Church, which is the largest parish church in Essex.
The Saffron Walden Museum is the place to go for a spot of history, with collections featuring mummies and Tudor furniture, and ruins in its grounds which date back to the 12th century.
If you fancy getting lost, the town has four mazes, one of which is the largest turf labyrinth still surviving in Europe and winds for around one mile in total, according to Visit Saffron Walden.
Saffron Walden also made it onto Muddy Stilettos’ top 300 places to live last year, partly for its cosy pubs.
The lifestyle blogger recommends The Eight Bells, a 16th century timber-framed pub with “leather armchairs to sink in post-feast”, or The Cricketers which was once owned by Jamie Oliver’s family.
If you are considering a move to Saffron Walden, the average price for a detached home is £780,000, while for a flat you would pay around £210,000, according to Zoopla.
Zoopla’s area guide for the town also mentions that it is “conveniently positioned” for commuting to both Cambridge and London, with the nearest station Audley End located 1.9 miles away.
Ultimately, Saffron Walden was named the best place to live in the country by the Sunday Times for the way it is “reinventing” the high street.
The paper’s judges said: “The genteel market town used to have a reputation for being stuffy, old-fashioned and expensive.
“While the property prices are still high, SW is enjoying a swish new lease of life.
“Incomers are bringing fresh ideas, cool independent shops and tasty places to eat with them.
“If the traditional high street is dying, Saffron Walden is reinventing it for the 21st century.”
