Quaint English town with 884-year-old market named the best place to live in the UK

A BEAUTIFUL market town in Essex has been declared the best place to live in 2025.

Based on schools, transport, broadband speed, mobile signal to culture, green spaces and high street health, The Times has declared Saffron Walden as their winner.

The Essex town was ranked number one from a shortlist of 72 locations.

Saffron Walden dates back to the 1130s and while it is 15 miles from the nearest city of Cambridge, it still has plenty to offer.

In the town centre is a market that has been running since 1141 and is still going strong today.

On Tuesdays and Saturdays, stalls set up to selling food from fresh fruit and vegetables, to olives, bread, fish, flowers, antiques and jewellery.

The market is also pretty famous and won the title of “Best Small Outdoor Market”; in the Great British Market Awards in 2018.

On the outskirts of Saffron Walden you’ll find Audley End house and gardens, where they have a miniature railway and a chance to meet the ‘staff’ of Audley End who take it back to its Victorian heyday.

The publication even spoke to locals, with one saying he moved to Saffron Walden from Australia and will always live in Essex.

Someone else said there's lots going on for young families with another adding it feels safe and is a friendly place.

The judges said: “Saffron Walden was chosen for its knockout historic looks with excellent state schools, a rich cultural offering and an exploding foodie scene.

“The genteel market town used to have a reputation for being stuffy, old-fashioned and expensive.”

They added: “If the traditional High Street is dying, Saffron Walden is reinventing it for the 21st Century.”

The streets are full of colourful cottages and medieval brick buildings.

At the local pub, Railway Arms, there are food trucks every Thursday, and lots of coffee shops to have a bite to eat including The Goat And Grass.

There's also a traditional toy shop and Hart’s Books which has been open for over 175 years.

The other regional winners include London's Walthamstow, Ilmington in Warwickshire and Ilkley in West Yorkshire.

Also on the list was Dundrum, Co Down, Woolton in Liverpool, North Berwick in East Lothian, Petersfield in Hampshire.

Chew Valley in Somerset and Gower Peninsula in Swansea were also top-rated.

Plus, Sun Travel reveal their favourite places to explore in the South East.

And where you can find sandy beaches and piers in Essex.