Just 2 hours from London: England’s oldest borough is a stunning town that’s been named among the best places to live in the UK – and it’s home to the tomb of England’s first king
The Times have just revealed a roll call of the most ravishing places to reside in the UK in the form of their annual (and highly anticipated) ‘best places to live’ guide. And whilst I obviously believe that London reigns supreme as the best of the bunch; a fair few other spots across the UK earnt themselves a comfy spot on the coveted list. One of which is a quaint, quiet, and ever-so quintessential market town of Malmesbury in Wiltshire.
Malmesbury, Wiltshire
Malmesbury is a gasp-inducingly gorgeous town with a rather fascinating backstory, and was named the best place to live in south-west England in The Times’s recent report. It boasts the title of the oldest borough in England, and its main character energy doesn’t stop there. The small-but-mighty spot was hailed one of the first capitals of the UK by King Athelstan (the very first King of England) who is, in fact, buried in the ancient town. Malmesbury became a key battle ground during the English Civil War (and still has some of the battle scars to show for it) but has well-and-truly survived to tell the tale.
Credit: Peter Titmuss, Shutterstock
Nowadays, Malmesbury is a beautiful bustling town, filled to the brim with thriving local businesses, charming cobbled lanes, ancient buildings, and some pretty sensational views. Its magnificent Norman Abbey stands as the town’s centrepiece (and the home to the tomb of King Athelstan), and there are also some wonderful walking routes nearby, too.
Hailed ‘a hub of innovation’ by The Times; it’s certainly not hard to see why Malmesbury was named one of the very best places to live. And the average house will only set you back £469,000; a relative bargain compared to Richmond (the neighbourhood named the best in London), which boasts an average house price of a rather staggering £916,900.
Getting to Malmesbury from London
Malmesbury is approximately a 2 hour drive from London and there is pay-and-display parking available once you get there. Malmesbury doesn’t actually have a train station (I told you it was quaint and quiet), so the easiest way to get there on public transport is by hopping on a speedy service from London Paddington to Swindon and taking the number 99 bus from there or heading to Kemble and jumping in a taxi from there.
