Two places in East Sussex on list of best places to live in the South East
Hove and Wadhurst were named among the best places to live in the south east
Hove and Wadhurst, both in East Sussex, have been named among the best places to live in the south east.
Judges said Hove has "cosy cafés and a "gentler pace of life" whereas Wadhurst has an "extra buzz" and tidy streets" which helped them make the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
Nine other locations in the southeast are featured in the comprehensive guide.
Folkestone in Kent took the top spot.
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, says:
“This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2024.
“These are all places where you can feel grounded as well as upwardly mobile: they have a mature sense of community, lively, supportive high streets and an eye to the future, whether that is eco-friendly measures, transport and regeneration, or imaginative inclusion of new housing.”
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street.
Helen added "different people may be looking for different things, but what all our best places have in common is that people love living in them and are proud to call them home.”
The Sunday Times judges said:
"Hove has all the advantages of being by the sea and close - but not too close - to Brighton. The beach is dotted with hardy swimmers and ball-chasing cavapoos instead of boozy daytrippers.
"Inland Hove is home to tree-lined Regency avenues, cosy cafés, floating spas and yoga studios. As well as a gentler pace of life, Hove also has a better choice of homes than Brighton, from mid-century blocks to neat terraces and grand Victorian houses converted into flats.
"There’s definitely an extra buzz about Wadhurst’s tidy streets since the village was named the best place to live in the UK in last year’s guide, and that’s not just down to the new full-fibre broadband.
"Beauty is more than skin deep here. There are timber-framed and tile-hung cottages, all set against the stirring backdrop of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
"It’s also a hive of activity with a proud, caring community."