A RIVERSIDE town in north Essex has been named as the best place to live in the region in a prestigious annual guide.

The Sunday Times has crowned Wivenhoe as the best place to live in the East of England in this year’s Best Places to Live guide.

The judges praised Wivenhoe, which is home to about 8,000 people, for its “welcoming community and strong artistic tradition”, which help the “picturesque” town stand out from its neighbours.

“It has two art galleries, a high street full of independent shops and a choice of seven pubs, as well as attractive architecture that’s worthy of its beautiful estuary location,” they said.

Mark Cory, who has lived in Wivenhoe for 18 years and has represented the town on Colchester Council since 2007, is “not surprised” the area has reigned supreme.

Gazette: Delighted - Wivenhoe councillor Mark Cory, who has lived in the town for 18 yearsDelighted - Wivenhoe councillor Mark Cory, who has lived in the town for 18 years (Image: Mark Cory)

He said: “It’s a wonderful place to live, we all know that. It’s no secret that it is very welcoming.

“We have a really strong community, it is picturesque, and I agree we do have good pubs and we welcome visitors.

“I love my community and I love representing Wivenhoe - it’s an absolute privilege. It’s full of good people, it’s a good community and a great place.”

Essex's best areas to live in

Elsewhere in Essex, Ingatestone and Saffron Walden have also been praised by the newspaper’s comprehensive guide which will be published in a magazine supplement on Sunday.

Norwich and Sheringham in Norfolk, the Shotley Peninsula in Suffolk, and the Shelfords in Cambridgeshire have also been listed among the region’s best places to live.

Best Places to Live editor Helen Davies said: “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.”

There are more new entries than ever before in this year’s guide, including Wivenhoe, where the team visited and spoke to locals about life in the town.

The guide names North Berwick in East Lothian as the overall best place to live in the UK.