A Chester village has officially been named as one of the best places to live in the North West.

The Sunday Times has published its annual supplement of the Best Places to Live, with expert judges casting their eyes over towns, cities and villages and celebrating which ones they deem are fantastic locations.

This year sees Christleton make the list, with judges full of praise for the "best-of-both-worlds village".

Judges highlighted the presence of Christleton High and Christleton Primary School, pubs The Cheshire Cat, the Ring O' Bells and the Plough Inn, as well as the local community.

Explaining why Christleton is on the list, judges said: "This best-of-both-worlds village is a premium postcode with two outstanding state schools, three roaringly good pubs, and upmarket homes in a delightfully rural setting. 

"There is also a serious social scene and a busy calendar of community events."  

The Sunday Times’s expert judges assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street. 

Stockport was named the best place to live in the North West, with other shortlisted places being, in alphabetical order, Kendal, Knutsford, Prestwich, Ribble Valley and Sefton Park. 

Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, says: “This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2024. 

"Wherever you are on the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you. These are all places where you can feel grounded as well as upwardly mobile: they have a mature sense of community, lively, supportive high streets and an eye to the future, whether that is eco-friendly measures, transport and regeneration, or imaginative inclusion of new housing.

“What makes our guide unique is that we actually visit all the places we choose and talk to locals to find out what life is really like there.

“That means we can see what people really love about the places they live. That might be fast commutes and high-achieving schools but also clean water to swim in, lively town centres with useful shops, the possibility of earning a living and being part of a friendly community.  

“We do consider affordability, though high house prices are no barrier to inclusion - as long as they provide value for money. Different people may be looking for different things, but what all our best places have in common is that people love living in them and are proud to call them home.” 

The guide has again been sponsored by mortgage lender Halifax.

The annual publication has been posted digitally today at https://www.thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-live and will be featured in this weekend's Sunday Times magazine.

Retirement Villages Group (RVG) is due to open The Wyldewoods in the parish of Christleton this autumn, the first of its next generation integrated retirement communities. 

Simon Dickinson, sales and marketing director for the firm, said: “The Wyldewoods will be our first integrated retirement community in the north of England. 

"One of the main reasons we chose Christleton was its location in Cheshire’s famed countryside yet just a stone’s throw from Chester’s historic centre. Our residents will be able to wander round the picturesque village, exploring the inviting pubs, restaurants and independent shops, or easily head into the city and experience its busy centre.

“Research has shown that increasingly over 65s are choosing to move from the countryside back into more urban areas in retirement and we consider Chester to be one of the best places in the UK to retire."