Last Boxing Day, whilst many of us were dealing with the excesses of the day before, Savills the estate agents released a survey of Britain's most desirable towns and as with other similar indexes – it's good news for Hitchin.

Whilst another Hertfordshire town, Harpenden, tops the list Hitchin has smashed into the top 50.

Indeed, Hitchin has jumped 18 places up the list over the last year to move up from 66^th to become the 48^th most desirable town in the UK to live in.

Lucian Cook, head of residential research for Savills, told the Telegraph: "It's worth noting that these locations are not second-home hotspots. They are aspirational, ­affluent places that attract incoming wealth with good schools and a strong quality of housing stock where residents are economically active who are building up their property and personal wealth."

Recently, Hitchin earned the title of number 20 on the 'happiest places to live' in the UK, according to Rightmove's 2024 Happy at Home Index.

As the only Hertfordshire location to feature on the list, Hitchin stood out for its community spirit and exceptional quality of life