Four Sussex towns have been listed in the Sunday Times Best Places To Live guide, with Wadhurst crowned the overall winner.
The annual guide, in its 11th edition this year, features 72 locations across the UK as desirable places to live.
Judges travel across the country and assess locations on the following criteria, including schools, transport, broadband speeds, culture, green spaces and the high street.
Judges praised Wadhurst, which is a market town, for its “good schools, convenient transport connections, an amazingly well-stocked high street and stunning scenery”. They said that it offers “pretty much everything needed for modern life in miniature”.
Chichester, West Sussex, has been named as the Best Place to Live in the South East. Judges said:” Chichester has both class and a heart. The beautiful historic town has welcomed the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per head in the country.
“It has good schools and transport links but it’s the easy access to both the South Downs and Chichester Harbour plus a healthy dose of culture from the Festival Theatre and Pallant Gallery that elevate it far above the south coast sprawl.”
The other Sussex towns named on the list are:
Seven Dials in Brighton and Hove. Judges said: “There’s a good reason why the hilltop neighbourhood of Seven Dials is regularly namechecked as Brighton’s coolest enclave.
“It has a genuine village-feel, with its beautifully preserved Victorian terraced houses and villas, independent shops and views of the South Downs.
“With Preston Park on the doorstep, and the station and seafront a short walk away, it’s easily the best place to enjoy Brighton’s bewitching mix of grit and glamour.”
Lindfield, West Sussex. Judges said: “With its duck pond, rose-covered historic houses and a pretty common full of dog walkers, Lindfield looks like the perfect English village.
“Its excellent pubs, coffee shops and a high street with a baker, greengrocer, butcher and classy interiors shops and boutiques back that up in style.”
The previous winners of this title are: Stamford, Lincolnshire (2013); Skipton, North Yorkshire (2014); Newnham, Cambridge (2015); Winchester, Hampshire (2016); Bristol (2017), York (2018), Salisbury, Wiltshire (2019), Altrincham, Cheshire (2020) Stroud, Gloucestershire (2021) and Ilkley, West Yorkshire (2022).
Halifax is the sponsor of the competition. Kim Kinnaird, the director of Halifax Mortgages, said: “At Halifax, we know it’s where you live that really makes somewhere feel like ‘home’.
“What people look for when choosing where to live is a very personal choice.
“We know that the housing market can sometimes feel daunting when there are so many locations and things to consider.
“But looking at these fantastic locations is a great start, with options for different budgets and family situations, alongside an exciting blend of urban and rural living.”
