York and Easingwold have placed in The Sunday Time Best Places to Live 2021 North and Northeast category. The overall winner of the category was Ilkley near Leeds. Stroud, Gloucestershire was named the Best Place to Live in Britain 2021.
The comprehensive guide is released online today and will be available in the paper on Sunday.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges considered a wide range of factors, from schools, air quality, transport and broadband speeds to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street.
They looked for improving towns, villages or city centres, for well-designed homes and locations bursting with community spirit – which the pandemic has shown to be the most vital quality of all.
Helen Davies, The Times and Sunday Times Property Editor, said: “Our focus for this year has been community, countryside and convenience. It hasn’t been a year for big cities or small villages. Instead, it is small towns that have shone: big enough to have everything you need within walking distance and small enough for everyone to feel connected.
“Ilkley has a beating community heart, a business brain, culture and a good sense of humour.
“It’s also got excellent schools, great shops in its town centre and is within easy reach of both Leeds and the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales, with its own magical moor as the icing on the cake.”
Here’s what the judges had to say about Easingwold and York:
Easingwold “Civilised shops and a cobbled market square are one reason we think this unpretentious Georgian market town is one of North Yorkshire’s best. The other is the perfect location, close to both the Dales and the lovely Howardian Hills but conveniently located on the A19,” was the judges’ verdict here. They picked out the choice of secondary schools – including Outwood Academy, one of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide’s top state secondary schools in the North – as a big attraction for families. Other features highlighted included brunch at the friendly Olive Branch bistro.
Average sale price: £270,000
Average rental: £725 PCM
“York is one of the very best locations in the country for schools, and its unbeatable rail connections and interesting shops and restaurants give this historic city a thoroughly modern edge,” the judges said. They scored it particularly highly for education: at least 90 per cent of state school pupils attend a school that’s rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, and Co-ed Fulford School was judged to be the comprehensive of the decade by The Sunday Times Parent Power guide. They picked out South Bank as a good area for people priced out of the city centre, praising the independent shops on “Bishy” (Bishopthorpe) Road, and beautiful Rowntree Park.
Average sale price: £285,000
Average rental: £850 PCM
A breakdown of house prices has been supplied by data specialists TwentyCi, and information on internet speeds has been supplied by Thinkbroadband.com, the UK’s leading independent guide to broadband.
Visit https://www.thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-live to see the full guide.
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