Ripon has been named among the best places to live in the North and North East by The Sunday Times.
The news outlet's annual guide of the UK’s best places to live is based on factors including schools, transport, broadband speeds, culture, green spaces and the health of the high street.
It includes 72 locations across the country, with Ilkley taking top spot for the North and North East, whilst Saffron Walden in Essex was named the overall winner.
Ripon was one of seven locations in the region that received an honourable mention.
The list also includes Easingwold, Hebden Bridge, Horsforth, Morpeth, Sheffield and Tynemouth.
Praising Ripon, judges said:
“This little gem is a city that feels more like a market town.
“Its pretty cobbled streets are lined with ancient and elegant houses, its schools are excellent and its cultural life thriving, and you’re a stone’s throw from fast road and rail communications and stunning countryside.
“The town centre punches above its weight as a place to buy and enjoy local produce and the houses are more affordable than in more famous rivals such as Harrogate or York.”
Reacting to the news, Ripon BID Manager Lilla Bathurst said she's "thrilled" by the news and is hopeful it will attract more visitors to the city.
She told Your Harrogate:
"We’ve always known that Ripon is a fantastic place to live, work and visit, but this news is wonderful as people nationally are going to find out about our wonderful city and hopefully come and visit us!
"I do think we are being seen now as a destination.
"We’ve got a cathedral, three rivers and a canal, three fantastic museums, a racecourse, Newby Hall, Fountains Abbey, Lightwater Valley… That together with our wealth of independent businesses means we’ve got it all in a small city."
Listen to Best Places to Live chief judge Tim Palmer talking to Your Harrogate's Stuart Clarkson about Ripon's inclusion in this year's guide:
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said:
“It is easy to feel overwhelmed by everything going on in the world, but there really is so much to celebrate as we look closer to home.
“From small gestures that lift the everyday like - verges blooming with daffodils and volunteer-run dementia cafés, to larger initiatives from repair cafés to new railway stations.”
There are more new entries than ever before in this year’s guide and no place for many previous winners including York, Winchester, in Hampshire, and Altrincham, in Cheshire.
As always, the judges looked for thriving locations with a strong sense of community rather than famous names with high house prices.
Helen said:
“What makes our guide unique is that 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 could be anything from exceptional schools and fast trains to beautiful houses and countryside.”
She added:
“The health of the high street is important, but more than anything else, what we are looking for are towns, villages and cities with strong communities who work hard to make the best of where they live, and play hard too.
“We also consider affordability. High house prices are no barrier to inclusion - as long as they provide value for money.
“Different people will be looking for different qualities when they are choosing a place to live.
“One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home.”
See the full list and read more about the Best Places to Live guide by The Sunday Times here.
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