Hitchin comes second in top 200 places to live in the UK

Choosing from Muddy Stilettos' Top 200 Best Places to Live guide in a national vote, Hitchin came second in the UK.

Hertfordshire's hip and historic town of Hitchin came in as the second most popular place to live - thanks to its foodie scene, brilliant indie boutiques, arty shops and vintage emporiums.

It was favoured for its relaxed community vibe, café culture, chic eateries and bars, plus its regular markets, winding cobbled streets, green space, historic pubs and unique local attractions, such as the lavender farm and a lido.

It ticks all the boxes for young professionals and families who want the perks of country life but remain within easy commuting distance of London and Cambridge.

The average price for Hitchin property is £454,011 while spacious terraces come it at around £450-550k and larger properties in the range of £700,000.

See our Property Section sponsored by Wellington Evans for more

More than 27,000 of Muddy Stilettos readers voted across six weeks for their favourite town or village, hamlet or commuter favourite from 200 locations independently picked by the highly-trusted 'Muddy' editorial team.

Having participated in the regional vote, the regional winners were then shortlisted and went into a final national vote to pick the National Winner.

The vote revealed their strength of passion and sense of community, and quality of local facilities and immediate surroundings.

Hero Brown, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Muddy Stilettos says, "When people move out of London, they're searching for more than just a house, they want to find a new lifestyle that works for them. It's about community, schools, a village pub, easy access to pleasures like walking or theatre.

"The results of our Best Places to Live gives readers a fresh perspective to make their search easier - we've built our reputation on having on-the-ground knowledge of the most vibrant places to go and things to do outside London and are thrilled that Best Places will help those wanting to make a leap into a new life."

The Top 10 most popular towns and villages were:

1 Godalming, Surrey

2 Hitchin, Herts

3 Sevenoaks, Kent

4 Norwich, Norfolk

5 Marlow, Bucks

6 Topsham, Devon

7 Market Harborough, Leics

8 Lymington, Hants

9 Falmouth, Cornwall

10 Newbury, Berks For full results in Hertfordshire, go to https://muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/ NOTES Voting took place between February 4 to March 25, 2022. Voters were given one vote each, and their decisions were based on their own knowledge of best postcodes, shopping, schools, restaurants and bars, plus the commuting journeys for those needing to travel into London and major conurbations. The directory provided information on all of these factors, but the final decision was based on our readers' own personal experience. Muddy Stilettos Muddy Stilettos – the urban guide to the countryside - is the UK's No1 women's lifestyle website and trusted local guide for cosmopolitan women outside London looking to make the most of their precious time. Editorial content covers Things to do, Art & Culture, Beauty, Fashion, Home, Eat & Drink and Kids. Other features include a What's On guide, Muddy Stilettos Little Black Book, Muddy Stilettos School Reviews and the annual Muddy Stilettos Awards supporting local independent retailers and entrepreneurs. For more visit muddystilettos.co.uk