Winchester makes The Sunday Times' Best Places to Live list again

The expert panel featured the cathedral city for its “exceptional” schools, leisure centre, road and rail connections for commuters and The South Downs Way.

Winchester claimed the title for the top location to live, across the whole of the UK, in 2016 and has remained a longstanding favourite.

Peter Hazelgrove (Image: Adele Bouchard)

Peter Hazelgrove, 91, moved to the area 60 year ago for his old job as a depositor. The father-of-three who lives in Harestock said: “I love it here. It hasn’t changed that much and it’s in the beautiful countryside. The proper Winchester people are always really friendly.”

Jan Ptak, 62, who works as a paint sprayer, has lived in Abbotts Barton for 11 years. He said: “I love the city because it’s very quiet. You see lots of people but still its quiet and safe too. There are lovely people living here too.

“I don’t care about the shops but you can find everything you need.”

Jan Ptak (Image: Adele Bouchard)

Maisie Curtis, 17, of Lynn Way, Kings Worthy, and Meeka Cullum, 16, from Four Marks, are students at Peter Symonds College and regularly visit the city centre.

Maisie said: “It’s all touristy even though there aren’t many shops. It’s definitely good for education, there are lots of good schools around.”

Meeka said: “There is always a nice chatty vibe, with lots of people about. There’s a good bus service so you can get around easily.”

Maisie and Meeka (Image: Adele Bouchard)

Sebastian Turner, who has lived in Winchester for a year and currently stays at the Beacon in Jewry Street, criticised the city for being “outrageously expensive” but said it’s “lovely if you have got plenty of money”.

Mr Turner, 63, unemployed, said: “I like that it’s an old historic city but I am horrified by the cost of the usual little things. Cookies cost as much as £3.75 – it’s outrageous. The cost of the little things is just going up and up.

“Winchester is no doubt a lovely place to live if you have plenty of money.”

Sebastian Turner (Image: Adele Bouchard)

Meanwhile, Donna Laine of Donna Laine Fine Jewellery said she “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else”.

The business owner, aged 60, who lived in Parchment Street for seven years before recently moving to Twyford, said: “We’ve had the shop her for more than 10 years. Winchester is a happy place. I love living and working here and having my daughter at St Swithun’s.

“I’m thrilled to be part of the community and the retail environment. We’re a nice city to visit with high-quality eateries and really good independent businesses. I feel very proud to be here.”

Donna Laine (Image: Adele Bouchard)

Liz Kavanagh, the editor of Winchester Magazine, said: “I love the fact that I feel like I live in a large village where everyone knows each other and the community spirit is absolutely fantastic.

“Whenever we do a community appeal on social media we are inundated with responses of people offering to help. It’s wonderful to see how many good things are done by locals every single day. There are huge numbers of unseen community heroes.”

Liz Kavanagh (Image: Adele Bouchard)

Helen Davies, Best Places to Live editor, 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 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.”

The full list for the south east, announced on Friday, March 15, is as follows:

• Winner: Folkestone, Kent 
• Chorleywood, Hertfordshire 
• Farnham, Surrey 
• Hove, Brighton & Hove 
• Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire 
• St Albans, Hertfordshire 
• Sevenoaks, Kent 
• Stockbridge, Hampshire 
• Wadhurst, East Sussex 
• Winchester, Hampshire 

To see all the lists from The Sunday Times go to thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-live.