Historic and picturesque Saffron Walden, with its excellent state schools, rich cultural offering and exploding foodie scene has been nominated as The Sunday Times Best Places to Live.

The paper’s expert judges visited locations across the country and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds and mobile signal to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street.

New lease of life

Saffron Walden  came top. It’s a market town that used to have a reputation for being genteel and, while property prices are relatively high, the town is enjoying a swish new lease of life largely due to its proximity to Cambridge, with incomers bringing fresh ideas, opening cool new independent shops, and launching tasty places to eat.

Even more people’s eyes will be opened to the place.”

Local Savills boss Lucy Banks has spent her life living and working in Saffron Walden and eulogises about its sense of community, its schools, coffee shops, market and its culture.

Banks says it: “Offers a real mix for a diverse range of people – lots of young families are moving to Saffron Walden but there also a lot of long-term residents.”

She adds that the area’s property market is busy at the moment and supply shortages mean it tends to be a sellers’ market. Coming top of the polls, however, means, Banks says, that: “Even more people’s eyes will be opened to the place.”

Estate agency Intercounty also has a branch in Saffron Walden and Sales and Lettings Manager Blake Kingston says: “It’s got everything you could wish for in a small parameter, yet it is still a very affordable place to be. A two-bed starter home is around £300k. Cambridge is only 15 minutes away but is twice the price.”

Kingston adds that the publicity that comes with being in top spot will: “Certainly get people looking on Rightmove.” And Kingston says the property market is already busy.

There are also ten regional winners, which are:

EAST OF ENGLAND: Chelmsford, Essex

LONDON: Walthamstow

MIDLANDS: Ilmington, Warwickshire

NORTHERN IRELAND: Dundrum, Co Down

NORTH & NORTHEAST: Ilkley, West Yorkshire

NORTHWEST: Woolton, Liverpool

SCOTLAND: North Berwick, East Lothian

SOUTHEAST: Petersfield, Hampshire

SOUTHWEST: Chew Valley, Somerset

WALES: Gower Peninsula, Swansea

Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, says: “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.”

The guide is being sponsored by the mortgage lender Halifax.

Read the full list.