21/05/2026
Not Stratford or Bromsgrove - best place to live in the Midlands has been named as The Malverns 🏆
The scenic area beat well-known contenders including Stratford-upon-Avon, Bromsgrove and Lichfield, all overlooked this year by the Sunday Times in its prestigious Best Places to Live list for 2026. Judges travelled the country assessing cities, towns and villages based on schools, transport, green spaces and high streets 🌱
The area features towns and villages around the spectacular Malvern Hills. It offers one of the most picturesque settings in the region for those who can afford to live there 🏡
Judges praised the location's appeal, saying: "The Malverns offer a majestic setting, elegant towns and villages, and a rousing cultural scene that goes far beyond the inevitable Elgar connections."
They highlighted the area's jobs, shops, cafés, restaurants and rail links. The judges also noted spectacular walks on bracken-clad hills and mighty views across to Wales and the Severn Plain 🌄
The area was particularly praised as "a cultural powerhouse" thanks to its festivals and theatres. This includes the recent reopening of the world's smallest theatre: the Theatre of Small Convenience, housed in a former public lavatory.
Well deserved 💚
