Clerkenwell named as best place to live in London

Clerkenwell in central London has been named as the best place to live in the capital.

North Berwick in East Lothian is the overall best place to live in the UK, according to an annual list published by the Sunday Times.

It described Clerkenwell as "all that's best" about life in the capital.

London's top 2023 spot of Crouch End is again on the shortlist, with Forest Hill, Highams Park, Little Venice, London Fields and Wimbledon Village.

The seaside town and former royal burgh of North Berwick is on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, about 20 miles east of Edinburgh.

The best in Wales was named as Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, while Portstewart, County Londonderry, took the top spot for Northern Ireland.

In alphabetical order

It embodies all that's best about life in London, from a rich past of riot and ribaldry to its current status at the heart of the capital's culinary and creative scenes.

Culture is covered by the Barbican and Sadler's Wells, there are cosy pubs, cool cafes, lively bars and some of the city's best restaurants in a warren of streets and alleys full of fascinating history.

Last year's London winner crams an astonishing number of shops, cafes and restaurants into its compact centre, all surrounded by parks, sports grounds and handsome Victorian and Edwardian houses.

It's a mini cultural powerhouse, too. The arts centre at the heart of the redevelopment of Hornsey Town Hall is scheduled to open this summer, adding to a literary festival, two independent cinemas and one of the capital's longest-running comedy clubs.

This charming, creative neighbourhood has ancient oak woods on the doorstep and a jaw-dropping city panorama from the gorgeous gardens at the Horniman Museum.

The high street leans firmly towards independents and the artistic community comes together for open days at artists' studios on Havelock Walk.

The joy of SE23 is that it appeals to first-timers as well as families and house prices are relatively affordable, by London standards at least.

This lively, leafy neighbourhood is fringed by glorious woodland and there's a plentiful supply of houses with good-sized gardens, making Highams Park a bucolic and more affordable alternative to overdone Walthamstow, Wanstead or Leytonstone.

This is a friendly neighbourhood where people greet each other in the street and residents are keen to support their independent shops and community events.

The towpaths and tree-lined streets of this calm canal-side neighbourhood offer a blissful combination of wedding-cake white stucco piles and brightly painted narrowboats that rarely fails to lift the soul.

Many of the mansions here have been converted into flats, making this a happy hunting ground for a new kind of post-pandemic buyer who wants to live in the capital for a few days a week, then repair to the country for long weekends.

It is easy to dismiss this bijou corner of the capital as a bouji bubble, but London Fields, 10 minutes from Liverpool Street on the Overground, offers all the energy of east London with a calmer, (slightly) less breathlessly hip ambience.

You can stroll along the Regent's Canal, swim in the restored 1930s lido — one of the few Olympic-size heated outdoor pools in the capital — or hang out at the on-trend restaurants, bars, cafés and shops on Broadway Market.

This leafy but well-connected corner of the capital, with 15 trains an hour to London Waterloo, offers an extremely good quality of life and has serious kerb appeal.

Tennis takes centre stage in the summer, but Wimbledon Village is sporty all year round.

On the high street, the vibe is tailored to lazy Sunday strolling whether stocking up on organic produce at the farmer's market or enjoying a cortado at the chic café.

Factors assessed by the Sunday Times included schools, transport, broadband speeds, culture, access to green spaces and the health of the high street.

Helen Davies, the guide's editor, said: "We actually visit all the places we choose and talk to locals to find out what life is really like there.

"That means we can see what people really love about the places they live. That might be fast commutes and high-achieving schools but also clean water to swim in, lively town centres with useful shops, the possibility of earning a living and being part of a friendly community."

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