ILKLEY has lost its crown as the best place to live in the UK.

However, the town is still named as one of the best places to live in the North and North East, in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.

Last year Ilkley was named as the best place to live in the UK by The Sunday Times, topping a list of 70 locations.

This year Wadhurst in East Sussex is named the overall winner. Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, is named as the Best Place to Live in the North and Northeast.

Other locations in Yorkshire and the Northeast featured in the guide are Leeds and Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, Ouseburn in Newcastle, Kelham Island in Sheffield, Thirsk in North Yorkshire and Wooler in Northumberland.

The judges say of Ilkley: "Last year’s overall Best Places to Live winner continues to dazzle with its enviable shops, schools, scenery and transport links as well as an energetic community with a knack for getting things done and a willingness to work hard to improve their home town."

Judges say of Leeds: "For culture, commerce and joyful consumerism, there’s no finer city centre in the UK than Leeds. It’s the only place outside London with its own opera, theatre, ballet and opera houses, and as a shopping destination, it’s second to none. Thanks to the eco-houses in the inspiring new riverside Climate Innovation District, it’s leading the way for sustainability, too."

Helen Davies, the editor of Best Places to Live 2023, said: “When times are tough, where we live matters more than ever. Attractive surroundings, good neighbours and a comfortable home are the best defences when the stresses of modern life seem overwhelming.

“This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2023 from Orkney to Felixstowe, the Chew Valley to Manchester city centre. Whether you’re downsizing, trading up or getting onto the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you.”

This year’s guide – the 11th – features more new entries than ever before. The Sunday Times’ judges visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street.

The sponsor, Halifax, has provided the average house price for each location.

The guide is released online today at thetimes.co.uk/bestplacestolive and an abridged version will be published as a magazine supplement on Sunday.