The residents of Britain’s happiest places to live have lauded the “magical” community spirit and luscious green surroundings of their beloved homes.
Woodbridge, a quaint civil parish in East Suffolk of around 8,000 people, topped this year’s list, pipping last year’s winner Richmond-upon-Thames - which came second - to first place.
The survey, carried out by Rightmove, asked residents to give their opinions on factors such as the pride they feel in their hometown, their sense of belonging, community spirit, whether they earn enough to live comfortably, sports opportunities and recreational infrastructure.
“Woodbridge is incredible, such a special, special place. It is such a magical place,” Shona Norman, the headteacher of Woodbridge School, told The Independent in reaction to the news.
Ms Norman, who moved to Woodbridge to take up her first teaching position and “completely fell in love” with the town, said the people she lives around have “become my family”.
“It has been so kind, so supportive and so nurturing. You never feel alone, you always feel part of it, and there was always something there to inspire you and help you,” she said.
“It is such a little gem, and there is just a very special atmosphere about it, which you can only appreciate when you come and visit it.”
The study said Woodbridge had ranked particularly highly for the community spirit, friendliness of the people, and access to essential services such as doctors, or schools.
“We have a number of students who come from overseas as well. They say they love the really safe, welcoming, beautiful surroundings of Woodbridge, and how they feel part of that community,” Ms Norman added.
Elliot, 30, a manager in the King’s Head pub, said Woodbridge is a “great place” and that he likes “the community”.
He added: “I genuinely love Woodbridge and I can see why people see it as happy. There’s definitely a sense of community here. Woodbridge is a great place. I like the people that I’ve surrounded myself with.
“I can see, being a green county, how everybody would love being here.”
Stirling, a city of 92,000 people in central Scotland, was ranked as the happiest place to live in Scotland, and the 12th happiest in the UK.
“It’s too f***ing expensive,” joked 35-year-old Jim Rintoul, who runs independent music shop Joanie’s Music after returning to his hometown following six years in London.
But he added, tongue-in-cheek, that it has an “amazing guitar shop, like a slice of Denmark Street brought to Scotland”.
Mr Rintoul reacted with “faint surprise” when told Stirling is Scotland’s happiest town, but said it has a “nice balance between a small town and a city”.
He sang the praises of Stirling’s independent shops: “In earnest, the local businesses that are here - it could do with more to be fair - but the local businesses that are here are very, very good. There are cooler barber shops, the cafes are great, and the independent record store up the road.
“It’s got a lot it could improve on honestly – as someone who has lived there most of my life – but in general I understand it being happy. It’s green, you can get away from things quite easily, lots of history, a reasonable amount of tourism,” he added.
“You can go to Edinburgh, you can get to Glasgow in less than an hour without having to live in that economy. It’s a very happy medium.”
Monmouth, crowned the happiest place in Wales and the fourth happiest in the UK, is an “unusual” place, explained local priest Father Nicholas James – because the residents “all seem to have come from somewhere else”.
With a population of a little more than 10,000, the picturesque market town is situated on the River Wye in southeast Wales, 3km from the border with England.
Father Nick, the priest of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, told The Independent that he was “pleased” to see Monmouth crowned the happiest place in Wales, adding: “It is a happy place to live. People get on very well here.”
“It’s beautifully situated,” he added. “The countryside around is lovely. The town itself is historic and attractive, but you can get to know people. It isn’t too large. It’s a fairly small place with a lot of opportunities, but you get to know people and you have friends from very different backgrounds.
“People are polite as well, there’s a sort of general friendliness here.”
The happiest places in the UK according to the Rightmove survey, followed by the average asking price for a home and the average asking rent per month:
1. Woodbridge, East of England, £441,569, £1,478
2. Richmond upon Thames, London, £939,329, £3,131
3. Hexham, North East, £313,147, £840
4. Monmouth, Wales, £320,974, £1,335
5. Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber, £394,312, £1,439
6. Skipton, Yorkshire and the Humber, £263,479, £1,030
7. Sevenoaks, South East, £881,061, £2,924
8. Leigh-on-Sea, East of England, £465,542, £1,796
9. Cirencester, South West, £384,013, £1,495
10. Wokingham, South East, £590,949, £2,120
11. Winchester, South East, £578,760, £2,069
12. Stirling, Scotland, £214,441, £1,227
13. Stratford-upon-Avon, West Midlands, £413,115, £1,604
14. Horsham, South East, £458,641, £1,983
15. Kendal, North West, £285,645, £966
16. Kensington and Chelsea, London, £1,667,573, £5,345
17. Chorley, North West, £197,199, £883
18. Hove, South East, £555,193, £1,993
19. Wandsworth, London, £865,205, £3,159
20. Hitchin, East of England, £510,612, £1,730
