Winner
NORWICH ✪
If we have learnt anything about a post-pandemic life/work
balance, it is that to nourish is to flourish, and Norwich is the
ideal liberal, progressive place to do just that. Here among a
patchwork of glorious ancient buildings, from the imposing
cathedral to medieval cobbled alleys and the Norman castle,
to the high-tech glass and steel Sainsbury Centre for
Visual Arts (which doubled as the Avengers HQ in
the Marvel films), residents can feed their minds
and their bodies. And do the same for their
kids: Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form is the
stand-out school, ranking seventh
nationally in The Sunday Times
Parent Power guide.
For a cultural fix, there are two
universities, theatres, art galleries and
museums, and an arts cinema in a grade
I listed merchant’s house. The Norfolk &
Norwich Festival arts bonanza celebrates
its 250th anniversary next month, while
the National Centre for Writing hosts regular
events (this is a Unesco City of Literature,
after all); and the Norwich Film Festival takes
place in November (patrons include the actors
Olivia Colman and Brian Cox).
For a physical kick, there’s plenty of greenery in the city
itself: the tree-lined avenues and listed buildings of Eaton
Park, while a sunset stroll on Mousehold Heath looking overthe city’s rooftops feeds the soul. Tougher exercise can be
enjoyed at one of many sports clubs.
The day-to-day essentials for living are catered for by a
daily market — which was named best large outdoor market
in Britain in 2019 — and Jarrold department store. Indie
shops are championed: check out St Giles Pantry; Norfolk
Retro, a mid-century furniture dealer; and the Book Hive.
Pop-ups abound and there’s a tasty foodie scene. Locals
love the Italian restaurant Benoli, and bistro The Farmyard,
while vegan café Tofurei is the only food producer to make
tofu from UK soya beans, grown a few miles down the road.
New traffic measures in the centre have led to some streets
being permanently pedestrianised — improving air
quality and enabling more eateries to serve
outside, which lends a European alfresco feel.
It may be hard to get to — Ipswich takes
32 minutes, Cambridge 1 hour 17 minutes,
and London Liverpool Street 1 hour 30
minutes by train — but it’s even harder
to leave. Dr Steph Makins, who was
born in Norwich and moved back in
2006, says: “It’s such a fantastic place,
with thriving culture and lots to do.
You’re also only half an hour from
a fantastic coast and even closer
to the countryside, with the Broads
on the doorstep.”
Best place to live if... You’re after
a welcoming mix of café culture and
high culture.
Best address The Golden Triangle has a boho vibe
and lovely Victorian terraced houses, but if you want
off-street parking look south to Eaton.
£304,000John Morton, who runs Heath
Farm Shop and Lings Country
Goods (where the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge have
been spotted). “Everyone
who comes brings a new skill
and new ideas to keep the
village vibrant.”
The refurbished village hall
has a well-stocked bar, a pool
table, wi-fi and Sky TV, and
offers a jam-packed schedule,
including fitness classes, film
nights, quizzes and bowls.
The thriving tennis club has
two tarmacked, floodlit courts
and more than 250 members
of all ages, while a mobile
library visits once a month.
Volunteers run everything
from coffee mornings to the
community car scheme, a
biodiversity project, and a
local toadwatch, while on
Thursday evenings you’ll
find a queue for the fish and
chip van — it was a lifeline
during lockdowns.
The Dabbling Duck pub
manages to be both a chic
culinary hotspot (it does
takeaways too) and a beloved
boozer (on Friday afternoons
it’s wall-to-wall farming
tweed). For a special
occasion, Sculthorpe Mill
— one of only two pubs in
England to have received a
new Michelin Bib Gourmand
tribute to Sir David.
Best place to live if... You’re
looking for a friendly and
funky vibe with fresh sea air.
Best address Families want
to be in the Marine Estate,
which is in the catchment area
for West Leigh Junior School.
£429,000ST IVES, CAMBRIDGESHIRE D
It may not be nearly as famous
as its Cornish namesake, but
this St Ives, 15 miles from
Cambridge, is all the lovelier
for being off the tourist trail. It
has delightful period
architecture, a traditional feel
with regular markets, some
good pubs and restaurants
and a relaxed riverside vibe:
the 15th-century bridge over
the River Great Ouse is one
of only four in England to
incorporate a chapel. There’s
a nature reserve in the centre,
meadows on the outskirts,
and the easy travel links to
its high-flying neighbour
Cambridge are a huge plus;
there is a guided busway, the
longest in the world, to the
Science Park, and you can
also bike the length of the
busway on a designated^ — flat
— cycle path straight to the
dreaming spires. However,
house prices in St Ives aremuch more down-to-earth.
While there may now be a
fraction of the pubs St Ives
enjoyed in its heyday as an
important trading town — in
the mid-18th century there
was supposedly one pub for
every 50 or so inhabitants
— the alcohol still flows freely.
On a sunny day, there’s
nowhere better than the River
Terrace café, which is right on
the banks of the Ouse — it
serves a mean brunch, while
at night-time it’s the place to
be seen sipping cocktails and
feasting on tapas-style plates.
“One of the great things
about St Ives is that you can be
on an amazing dog walk in a
matter of minutes, while a run
along the river is so uplifting,”
says Matt Kelly, who lives here
with his wife and young son.
“As soon as the sun comes
out, the river fills up with
rowers and lots of the locals
have boats. It’s such a lovely
way of life.”
Indeed it’s hard to be bored
with clubs for every interest
from rowing to swimming to
photography; there’s also an
18-hole golf course and an
excellent youth theatre. The
Corn Exchange hosts gigs,
dance classes, a monthly
stand-up comedy night (£5
entry) and a weekly craft and— is a 15-minute drive.
Best place to live if... You
want great views, great food
and a great community.
Best address Whether it’s
brick and flint cottages, a
bungalow or a barn
conversion — bag one
overlooking the green.
£364,000LEIGH-ON-SEA, ESSEX C
Estuary English at its most
refined. If you sit out on the
waterfront decking at Leigh’s
Boatyard restaurant in
summer, listening to live
music while sipping a pina
colada, you could almost be
on the Med. Almost. This tidal
town is a stunner, a trendy,
arty mix of craft coffee shops,
hip bars and brunch spots,
many of them in former stores
and boatsheds, all surrounded
by sandy beaches, nature
reserves, and the West Canvey
marshes (look out for skylarks
in summer). June sees the
return of the largest free folk
festival in the country and this
September marks the 25th
Leigh Art Trail, when the
town is taken over for eight
days by pop-up galleries.
“Leigh reminds me of a
mini Brighton,” says Kate
Pentelow, a financial coach(@the_money_mummy), who
lives in the town with her
husband and three children.
“It has a bit of a hipster vibe
but it’s not pretentious.”
Old Leigh is a delight — a
fishing village (you can still
watch the boats being
unloaded) with cobbled
streets, clapboard houses and
cockle sheds. The basics are
covered: a family-run butcher
(Harrison’s); a sourdough
bakery (Flour and Spoon);
and a new greengrocer,
Hayes & Holt, which has a
sustainable ethos, a florist and
coffee shop and offers fruit
and veg box deliveries (from
£15). The Crooked Billet pub
and Osborne’s, also a
fishmonger, are locals’ top
picks for eating out.
The fast trains into London
— you can be at Fenchurch
Street in 43 minutes — has
attracted City workers, but
this is much more than a
soulless commuter ’burb. The
place appeals to everyone
from young professionals to
families and retirees and has a
close-knit community that has
pulled further together since
the death of the Southend
West MP Sir David Amess;
Southend-on-Sea, of which
Leigh is a district, was granted
city status last month as aThis is an edited version. For the complete guide visit thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-liveApril 10, 2022 13