Monmouth Bridge. © Ben Salter
Monmouth has been ranked as one of the top four places to live in Britain according to the Sunday Times. The accolade comes in part one of The Sunday Times’ annual Best Places to Live supplement published on Sunday March 16th.
The respected guide combines data and statistics such as crime rates, house prices and school performance with the local knowledge and expertise of Sunday Times writers to compile the definitive top 101 best locations to make your home.
The list also includes Abergavenny which is one of 11 Welsh locations named by the Sunday Times. Monmouthshire is the only Welsh county with more than one town on the list.
Towns were selected for offering the best quality of life to the widest number of people, and combining desirable features such as positive community spirit, good local shops and services and attractive outdoor spaces.
County Councillor Bob Greenland, cabinet member with responsibility for Innovation, Enterprise and Leisure said:
“It’s great news but will not come as a surprise to Monmouth residents that the town is in the top four places to live in the UK.
“It sits within an idyllic rural county, ideal for walking and other outdoor recreational pursuits and renowned for its food outlets. The town itself boasts a host of attributes that rarely come together in one place. It has a wealth of great independent shops and many historic architectural gems with links to the past through Henry V and Charles Rolls for instance. Monmouth is a place where Welsh and English cultures meet.
“While its historical past is much in evidence, it is also a leading twenty first century location for business. A network of major road links on its doorstep can take you anywhere in the UK in minimum time, so it offers new and expanding businesses, particularly in the growth area of digital technology, with the opportunity of being a fantastic location to live and work. To evidence its new technology status it is the world’s first Wikipedia town. Visitors using their smart phones and the town’s free Wi-fi system can learn about its heritage in their own languages as they wander through its attractive streets.
“Looking forward to the future, the proximity of the Celtic Manor, home of the most exciting Ryder Cup for many years, means we will be seeing many world leaders at the forthcoming NATO conference being held there. Then as the Celtic Manor develops Wales’ national conference centre, more opportunities will arise that will see Monmouth’s star continue to glow.
“It’s also gratifying to see that Abergavenny has been recognised as one of the finest places to live in the UK while Monmouthshire is the one Welsh county to feature more than one town in the list.”
