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Best Places to Live 2022
Wa l e s
Small-town living at its friendly best
takes pride of place, along with a sense of
history and a refreshing splash of seaside
AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE
£225,000
Taking the lead
Kate Glanville in
Llandeilo,
above and
inset. Left:
ConwyCONWY, CLWYD A
There’s magic in this historic
town in north Wales, with its
21 towers, crumbling walls,
brooding castle and winter
murmurations, set against the
glassy waters of the Conwy
estuary. Whether you are
gazing at distant peaks or
watching oystercatchers peck
on the mudflats, there’s a view
to take the breath away in
every direction — including
from the waterfront terrace of
the Liverpool Arms, the
largest beer garden in Wales.
Live within the fortified
walls, built by Edward I in the
1200s, and you can collect
fresh fish and giant local
mussels on the quay, while the
centre is packed with
independents including
Hinton’s bookshop and the
Cheese Room deli. The
epicurean delight that is the
Bodnant Welsh Food Centre is
near by. Essentials such as a
butcher, baker, choice of
chemist, and an off-licence are
all there — however, there’s
no escape from FatFace or
Mountain Warehouse.
Conwy Morfa is a lovely
sandy beach for swimming,
fishing and rockpooling. Yet
more impressive views across
mountains and coast are the
reward for walkers who tackle
the two-hour-plus circuit of
Conwy Mountain — the 200 or
more parkrunners gather
just down the road for their
weekly 5k. Trains and the
A55 reach Bangor and
Liverpool at high speed.
Best place to live if... You
love battlements, boats, birds
— and bucketloads of charm.
Best address Conwy’s peak
postcode is Deganwy with its
sailing and golf clubs, and
stunning estuary views.
£288,000*PENARTH,
VALE OF GLAMORGAN BPenarthians are well schooled
in the good things in life: atop-class education,
independent shops, enviable
houses and a bracingly salty
air. Here the cliff path is a
procession of walkers, some
with buggies, others with
dogs heading for the off-lead
playground of Cosmeston
Lakes Country Park, while the
pier is the place to be for an
exercise class as the sun rises.
For such a posh postcode,
Penarth’s town centre is
surprisingly unshowy.
Everything you need is here
— pet supplies, hardware/
homeware at Wasons, aADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES; HAWLFRAINT Y GORON/CROWN COPYRIGHT; JEFF MORGAN; LEONID ANDRONOV/ALAMY*Source: Halifax using Land Registry data
choice of supermarkets,
chemists, butchers, fancy deli
fare and restaurants, along
with Griffin Books, which
hosts regular talks by authors.
John Davies, the editor of
Penarth View, a local lifestyle
magazine, says: “There’s a
community spirit unlike
anywhere I’ve been — and
we’ve really seen that over the
past two years. Before there
were any national schemes,
we had Helping Hands
Penarth raising money and
helping people in need.”
Gwyrddio Penarth Greening,40 April 10, 2022