As anyone who lives in the beautiful, buzzing city of Bath will tell you, it really is a fantastic place to live, work and play. Well, now it’s official, as the Sunday Times has placed Bath in the top 20 of its Best Places to Live in the UK 2017 list.

The city regularly makes it into national lists of the best places for city breaks and holidays, and hundreds of thousands of tourists visit every year. However, the Sunday Times list also looks at what it’s like for people living and working in Bath. The list looks at everything from house prices and standard of living to transport, food and culture.

At the moment, Bath has comfortably made it into the top 20 UK towns and cities, but exactly where it has placed is not yet been revealed. The Bath Chronicle is keeping a close eye on the situation and the Sunday Times is expected to announce the nationwide list very soon. Bath faces some stiff competition for the top spot though, as all of the following towns and cities have also made the shortlist:

• Amersham in Buckinghamshire
• Mayfair in London
• Falmouth in Cornwall
• Edinburgh
• Cobham in Surrey
• Chester
• Cambridge
• Chichester
• Skipton in North Yorkshire
• York

A tale of two cities

The compilers of the Sunday Times had some interesting observations to make about Bath, including something that visitors and residents of the city will already have noticed. The Sunday Times said:

“There are two Baths. There’s the tourist zone — Roman remains, Jane Austen-style tearooms and glowing Georgian houses — then there’s the real, walkable centre, with high-achieving schools (state and private), where people actually live. It’s a combo that has made the city a top choice for families fleeing the capital in search of a new life that’s not too far away from it all.”

Bath really does have many sides to its character. On the one hand, it is bursting with history, culture and incredible architecture, and it’s also a vibrant cosmopolitan city with a thriving arts, food, music and literature scene. It’s well-connected to the capital and is a great choice for families, and also has plenty to offer for couples seeking a romantic escape. What’s more, Bath is a city that is surrounded by unbelievably beautiful countryside, meaning that it offers the best of both town and country living. The Times also had another interesting observation to make, summing up the city’s unique character by saying:

“Imagine a supercharged St Albans with UNESCO World Heritage status.”

Planning a visit?

While we all wait anxiously to see where Bath has placed in the overall UK top 20, now is the ideal time to start planning your visit. Come and see what all the fuss is about, and make sure you have somewhere luxurious to stay right in the heart of the city – Bath Holiday Rentals has many elegant, comfortable properties available, so take your pick!