CHESTER has been named as the best place for families wishing to bring their babies to for a staycation in England.

As a record number of people are expected to stay in England this year due to ongoing Covid-related international travel restrictions, the thought of finding the perfect baby-friendly destination may seem daunting for new parents.

However new research, conducted by business services provider Direct365, has analysed key necessities that those with babies will want to consider when choosing a holiday destination, to create an index of the best locations to choose from which are most catered to babies.

The 'baby staycation index' analyses the number of family-friendly accommodation, pram-friendly walks and trails, family-friendly things to do, parks and gardens, child-friendly restaurants and number of babysitters in twenty of England's most popular holiday spots to rank each location based on how baby friendly it is deemed.

After compiling all the data, Chester emerged top of the list, ahead of the likes of York, London, Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester.

A total of 85 per cent of holiday accommodation was deemed family friendly, as well as 48 per cent of its restaurants.

It has a number of pram-friendly walks and trails, plus 10 parks and gardens, while it was ranked fourth easiest place to obtain a babysitter for parents who wish to explore the city themselves for the evening.

Chester was ranked 11th on the list for the number of family-friendly things to do (29).

Karl Bantleman at Direct365 said: “Traveling as a new parent can be a daunting experience, whether that’s trying to find the nearest baby changing facilities or which areas are pram-friendly. That’s why we created the baby staycation index, to help guide mum’s and dad’s across the country to find the perfect UK break for a hassle free trip.”

The top 10 list of baby-friendly staycation destinations in England, as compiled by Direct365, are:

1. Chester

2. Keswick

3. Bristol

4. York

5. Newcastle-upon-Tyne

6. Bath

7. Birmingham

8. London

9. New Forest

10. Skegness