Reading has been named in The Sunday Times Best Places To Live in the South East in 2022.

It is new to the list this year and is featured alongside 10 locations in the area as chosen by The Sunday Times.

Released online on Friday, the comprehensive rundown features 70 locations and an edited version will be available in the paper on Sunday.

A team of the Sunday Times' experts judges produce the list based on a range of factors from schools and broadband, transport and green spaces as well as culture and the health of the high street.  

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The guide aims to celebrate towns, villages and city centres that have seen improvements as well as "locations bursting with community spirit– which the pandemic has shown to be the most vital quality of all".  

Halifax, who sponsors the guide, has also pulled together the average house prices for each location.

Meanwhile, the UK's leading independent guide to broadband, Thinkbroadband.com, has gathered the most up-to-date information on broadband speeds in the stunning areas.

Helen Davies, The Times and Sunday Times Property Editor, said: “The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place. For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people? 

Ms Davies added: “Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed — and how welcome that change is.  

“This year we have discovered new best places to live, from resurgent city centres in the North, rejuvenated suburbs across the country, hidden villages in the Southwest, and a commutable Scottish island. 

“We hope there is something to suit everyone.” 

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Reading named as one of the best places to live in the South East 2022

The experts at the Sunday Times named Reading among the best places to live in the South East for the first time this year.

The judging panel had plenty of praise for the town, writing about their decision in the guide, the experts said: "It’s not fashionable, but nowhere else in the Southeast can match Reading’s booming business, impeccable connections and relatively affordable house prices.

"Its schools are good and the parks and riverside walks add a breath of fresh air away from the traffic-clogged centre."

Halifax noted the average house price in the area is £445,000 with the region seeing 8% growth since 2020.

It's not the only Berkshire spot to make the list either with Cookham also making the 2022 rundown.

Like Reading, Cookham was also new to the list for 2022, impressing the judges with its schools, shops and pubs. 

The guide reads: "It’s as charming today as when Kenneth Grahame first imagined Ratty and Mole messing about on its riverbanks."

The experts also noted the efficient motorways and fast trains which "are just a few minutes away."

The average house price in Cookham is £936,000 and it's seen 24& growth since 2020.

The Sunday Times Best Places to Live in the South East 2022

While Sevenoaks in Kent is the regional winner and therefore, features at the top of the list, the other destinations are listed in alphabetical order and are not ranked.

  • Winner: Sevenoaks, Kent
  • Brighton: Fiveways & Preston Park
  • Cookham, Berkshire
  • Deal, Kent
  • Englefield Green, Surrey
  • Farnham, Surrey
  • Olney, Buckinghamshire
  • Reading, Berkshire
  • St Albans, Hertfordshire
  • Test Valley, Hampshire