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The happiest places in Britain – Kendal takes #1 spot in North-West England

In a quest to uncover the happiest places to call home in Great Britain, Rightmove recently conducted its annual Happy at Home study, surveying over 26,000 residents across the country. This year’s results revealed a surprising shift as the borough of Richmond upon Thames in London claimed the top spot, marking it the first time the capital has clinched the coveted title. Winchester in Hampshire and Monmouth in Wales claimed the second and third places overall.

Nestled between the stunning Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, Kendal stands out as North-West England‘s most joyful haven. The market town claimed the top spot in the region and secured a notable 14th place nationally; the town’s unique charm and the breathtaking natural surroundings would undoubtedly have contributed to residents’ unparalleled happiness. Close neighbours Skipton (just over an hour’s drive from Kendal) took the top spot for the Yorkshire and Humber region, and were placed 6th in Britain.

Key contributors to residents’ happiness were feelings of pride, belonging and community. Access to green spaces and nature are also crucial factors, with residents in rural areas near national parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty reporting higher levels of happiness.

Curious to explore the happiest places in your own region? The tables below will show you the happiest places near you, according to the survey. And for those seeking a cheerful escape, you are always welcome in Kendal. 🤗

East Midlands

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Chesterfield173
Nottingham2118
Lincoln3127
Leicester4159
Mansfield5160
Derby6163
Loughborough7164
Northampton8167
Kettering9197

East of England

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Hemel Hempstead17
Leigh on Sea211
Clacton on Sea313
Woodbridge417
St. Albans519
Bishop’s Stortford622
Hitchin749
Norwich882
Bury St Edmunds991
Cambridge1099
Hertford11106
Huntingdon12108
Ipswich13123
Ely14124
Watford15131
Colchester16137
Stevenage17138
Chelmsford18149
Bedford19157
Southend on Sea20198
Peterborough21202
Basildon22205
Luton23211

London

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Richmond upon Thames11
Kensington and Chelsea28
City of London321
Camden423
Wandsworth525
Kingston upon Thames628
Islington740
Southwark844
Bromley946
Hammersmith and Fulham1050
Greenwich1196
Waltham Forest12103
Hackney13110
Westminster14111
Lewisham15119
Sutton16122
Merton17128
Lambeth18130
Ealing19134
Enfield20143
Tower Hamlets21154
Barnet22166
Hounslow23168
Harrow24170
Haringey25179
Bexley26181
Redbridge27189
Havering28193
Brent29208
Barking and Dagenham30212
Newham31213
Croydon32214
Hillingdon33218

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North-East England

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Hexham110
Newcastle upon Tyne245
Durham3139
Cleveland4141
Darlington5161
Gateshead6188
Sunderland7195
Middlesbrough8200

North-West England

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Kendal114
Altrincham229
Chorley334
Chester443
Wirral557
Bury659
Macclesfield762
Southport874
Stockport998
Northwich10120
Burnley11129
Carlisle12133
Warrington13140
Crewe14142
Lancaster15144
Salford16146
Preston17148
Blackburn18165
Liverpool19177
Manchester20178
Blackpool21180
Bolton22183
Wigan23187
Rochdale24203
Oldham25206

Scotland

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Galashiels115
Inverness253
Dumfries355
Dundee458
Perth578
Falkirk680
Ayr783
Stirling885
Edinburgh990
Kilmarnock1097
Glasgow11116
Aberdeen12121
Kirkcaldy13135
Paisley14147
Motherwell15192

South-East England

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Winchester12
Wokingham24
Tunbridge Wells326
Guildford427
Farnham531
Tonbridge633
Worthing737
Windsor839
Horsham942
Bracknell1051
Chichester1163
Sevenoaks1264
Isle of Wight1369
Hove1471
Aylesbury1572
Maidenhead1675
Hastings1779
Fareham1881
High Wycombe1984
Newbury2087
Brighton2193
Oxford22105
Southampton23114
Milton Keynes24117
Canterbury25125
Folkestone26126
Epsom27132
Fleet28150
Woking29153
Redhill30158
Eastbourne31162
Reading32172
Crawley33175
Basingstoke34176
Portsmouth35185
Maidstone36194
Ashford37199
Dartford38201 
Rochester39204
Banbury40209
Slough41217

South-West England

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Cirencester15
St Ives29
Weymouth316
Dorchester432
Plymouth536
Falmouth652
Salisbury754
Exeter856
Poole960
Cheltenham1065
Bath1166
Gloucester1276
Torquay1388
Barnstaple1489
Bournemouth1592
Bristol16109
Truro17112
Weston Super Mare18115
Taunton19156
Swindon20182
Yeovil21184

Wales

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Monmouth13
Anglesey218
Llandrindod Wells335
New Quay438
Wrexham577
Bridgend686
Swansea794
Llandudno8100
Cardiff9136
Caerphilly10169
Newport11207

West Midlands

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Stourbridge120
Leamington Spa224
Worcester330
Hereford441
Stratford on Avon548
Shrewsbury667
Solihull768
Lichfield8101
Stafford9102
Telford10104
Sutton Coldfield11107
Stoke on Trent12155
Coventry13171
Wolverhampton14174
Walsall15190
Birmingham16196
Dudley17210

Yorkshire and the Humber

PlaceRegional rankNational Rank
Skipton16
Harrogate212
York347
Halifax461
Whitby570
Sheffield695
Leeds7113
Grimsby8145
Hull9151
Huddersfield10152
Barnsley11173
Wakefield12186
Doncaster13191
Rotherham14215
Bradford15216

Becky Johnson

Becky Johnson is a Director of Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd.. Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd. offers luxury riverside holiday accommodation that is perfectly positioned between two of the UK’s most beautiful National Parks – the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

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7 Comments

  1. It would be interesting to see the scores. How much happier are the people of Richmond compared to those living in Hillingdon?

  2. I expect the people of Kendall will be even happier now that their house prices have received a little boost!

  3. To be honest, I’ve always been surprised that London hasn’t done better in the happiness stakes.

    Richmond has got a superb riverside location, a beautiful park and is still only a short train ride from the heart of London.

  4. How many inhabitants must a place have to get included in the survey? There must be some rural villages with a pub, a village hall and a great sense of community where the people must be as happy if not as happy as the population in some of these bigger towns.

  5. You know that a place is on the right lines for happiness when tourists start booking in for their holidays and Kendall couldn’t be better placed for exploring The Lakes.

  6. Up in Heaven, Dir John Betjeman will be nodding knowingly at Slough’s place at the bottom of the South East table as he wrote, “Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!
    It isn’t fit for humans now. “

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