In 2019 and 2021, Hexham, Northumberland was awarded the happiest places to live in the UK in Rightmove’s annual survey.
In 2021, Mayor Derek Kennedy said: “Hexham is thrilled to be awarded the happiest place to live in Great Britain.
“We are a small town with great history, Hexham Abbey and other historical buildings and our Market Place is 800 years old.”
As to what he believed constituted Hexham being voted as the happiest place to live, Kennedy said: “There is a wonderful community spirit, people are very supportive of one another.”
He added: “There are lots of community interest groups which get people working for the greater good.”
And he could be onto something, the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) noted: “Communities and social networks have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing.
“Strong social relationships can even help people survive life-threatening illnesses.
“While being without them can lead to chronic loneliness, poor mental health, and long-term damage to physiological health.”
In the latest Happy at Home Index, St Ives in Cornwall beat Hexham to the top spot; in fact, St Ives took back its title that it achieved in 2020.
The latest annual listing, as voted by residents, ranked the top 10 happiest places to live in Great Britain, shown below:
- St Ives, South West
- Galashiels, Scotland
- Woodbridge, East of England
- Hexham, North East
- Perth, Scotland
- Harrogate, Yorkshire and The Humber
- Anglesey, Wales
- Bury St Edmunds, East of England
- Stirling, Scotland
- Cirencester, South West.
Now in its 11th year, Rightmove’s Happy at Home Index has heard from more than 21,000 people living in towns, cities, and villages across the nation.
Residents score their local areas on factors such as:
- Community spirit
- Access to nature
- Access to green spaces
- Artistic and cultural activities.
The next Happy at Home Index is likely to come about by the end of this year, but whether Hexham will take back its number one spot is yet to be seen.
What is clear, however, is that social networks and access to nature are good for your health.
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