One of the country’s most beautiful small cities, bursting with great pubs, restaurants, indie shops and a good dose of community spirit, we have a worthy winner!

The hanging baskets were primped, the shop windows polished and it was a tooth-and-nail contest among Hertfordshire’s finest towns and villages. But your votes in the inaugural Muddy ‘Best Places to Live’ competition have now been counted and…*drumroll*…. we’re delighted to announce that the worthy winner is:

St Albans!

Bursting with great pubs, restaurants, independent shops, and a good dose of community spirit, it’s easy to see why St Albans was voted as the most popular place to live. This perfectly proportioned small city (it has a cathedral, don’t you know?) was named as one of The Sunday Times’s ‘Best Places to Live’ in 2020, so its star is flying high right now. The historic centre – all ancient religious buildings and cobbled streets – gives way to cute rows of terraces. And there’s a lot going on, with lovely indie shops, including a great vintage place. You’ll find eateries for all occasions, too – from cool cafes for brunch and cosy pubs to fine-dining restaurants when you want to splash out. All this makes St Albans the perfect choice if you want to get out of (London) town, but still want a super-buzzy scene.

Here, read our full Best Places to Live guide to St Albans to get a 360 on what makes it so special, and check out the final voting results below.

1/ St Albans
2/ Hitchin
3/ Aldbury
4/ Ware
5/ Harpenden
6/ Wheathampstead
7/ Much Hadham
8/ Ashwell

Want a peek over the border at the best places to live in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire, or maybe plot the location for your next break or dream holiday home? Check out the full list of winners across 25 counties.

Don’t agree with the verdict? Let us know in the comments below if you have a gem we’ve missed out and we’ll hotfoot it down there to see if can make the cut for next time.