TWO Ryedale towns have been named as among the Best Places to Live in Britain by The Sunday Times.

Malton and Helmsley were among the eight locations in Yorkshire to be included in the guide,

The accolade comes in part one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide, which is published on Sunday March 12. The supplements assess a wide range of factors, from jobs, exam results and broadband speed to culture, community spirit and local shops in order to compile the definitive top locations to make your home.

The methodology relies on hard data and robust statistics on crime and education, but also on expert knowledge from The Sunday Times judging panel. The judges combine the numbers with their own experience of the villages, towns and cities, such as local pubs, ease of transport and the range of attractive property to ensure the chosen locations truly are places where readers and their families can thrive.

The other best places to live in Yorkshire included Hull, Horsforth, Pateley Bridge, Richmond, Saltburn and Fulwood.

In addition, Harrogate, Skipton and York have been named amongst the Sunday Times Best Places Top 20 perennials, the list which celebrates the places that have that have appeared in almost every list over the past five years.

The Sunday Times Best Places to Live in Britain Part One is the first in a two-part series. This weekend it reveals the best places to live in the North and North East, Midlands, Northern Ireland, South East and Wales. Part two, published on Sunday, March 19. will reveal the best places in the Southwest, East, London, Scotland and the Northwest, as well as the overall best place to live in the UK.

The Sunday Times’ unique understanding of the housing market and in-depth property coverage is combined to help readers find a place to call home, whether they are hip young professionals, growing families or discerning downsizers.

Home Editor Helen Davies said: “This is the fifth year we have compiled the list, and this year’s is even bigger and better - the guide is more personal, more detailed and more comprehensive than ever before. The list weighs up everything from considering the likely impact of the local plan, to whether the post office is still open, the range of housing, and the quality of the coffee. Numbers on a spreadsheet can only tell us so much, so we carefully balance statistics with our writers’ decades of knowledge and expertise to create the definitive list of the best places to live in the UK."

Average property prices for sale and to rent have been provided by Countrywide plc, which is the UK’s leading residential estate agency and property services group.

Johnny Morris, Research and Analytics Director at Countrywide plc, said: "Using extensive data from across our businesses, along with official statistics, we have been able to paint a detailed picture, not just of how much it costs to buy or rent in different places across the country, but what it is like to live there too. We’ve been able to do this for all types of people, from someone renting their first flat to a family buying their forever home."

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