Beverley ‘shrugs off twin-set and pearls image to appeal to a cooler crowd’ as it is highlighted as a best place to live
“A beautiful Gothic minster, racecourse, thriving high street, markets and excellent restaurants make Beverley in East Yorkshire an attractive town to live in.”
Muddy Stilettos, the UK’s number-one women’s lifestyle website outside London, has announced its 2025 Top 300 Best Places to Live, and Beverley ranks among them. The platform uses its insight into the 35 most sought-after counties across the UK to give home owners the inside track that they will not get from mortgage lenders or other sources.
Beverley has been identified as one of ten Yorkshire hotspots that may appeal to home-movers nationwide. Muddy Stilettos has collaborated with Knight Frank in drawing up its much-anticipated annual list, with Yorkshire entries newly added for 2025.
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Of the sought-after East Yorkshire market town, which has previously topped other best place to live polls, Muddy Stilettos said: “This well-heeled Georgian town has shrugged off its twin-set and pearls image to appeal to a cooler crowd seeking good schools, café culture and morning yoga.
“It may be close to Hull’s sprawling suburbs, but it’s a world apart and, to the north, lies York, just 27 miles away. A commuter’s dream, it has regular train services to both its city neighbours as well as direct links to London and the coast.
“To the west of the town centre lies a stretch of common land called Westwood and to the east is Beverley Beck, a canal that leads from the River Hull. Today, desirable housing lines its banks, wildlife is flourishing and colourful narrow boats are often moored to the quays.”
The guide focuses on places to eat and shop, as well as schooling, culture, average house prices, nearby attractions, ease of commute and more, in compiling its top 300. In the case of Beverley, it says: “Beverley is beloved amongst foodies for its overflowing number of excellent restaurants, gastropubs, cafes and markets in such a small town.
“For starters, the Pipe and Glass is East Yorkshire’s only Michelin Star restaurant, but without the heady prices at James and Kate Mackenzie’s charming 15th century inn in pretty Dalton with overnight garden rooms.” The entry marks out The Westwood Restaurant, Whites and Cerutti 2, as well as former Masterchef UK champ Eddie Scott’s French-Indian fusion L’Opaline Bistrot as standout eatery options.
“You can’t hide money and the opulence of Beverley is reflected in the high-end jewellery, fashion, interior, gift and art stores lining the cobbled streets and squares,” it says of the town’s retail offering, while the health and wellbeing section underlines the health centres, sports clubs and fitness outlets available to residents, as well as the medical facilities on the doorstep, and “no shortage of in-town GPs, opticians and dentists, as well as herbalists, physiotherapists and chiropractors”.
The “community” highlights for Beverley include the town’s offering during the annual Heritage Open Days; the work of the Beverley Barge Preservation Society, the annual Beverley Folk Festival and its biannual Beverley Puppet Festival. There is a focus on Beverley’s schools, including top-rated primaries, and nurseries, and the town’s “best-kept secret”, the St Mary’s Church carving that is said to be the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.
Hero Brown, founder and editor-in-chief of Muddy Stilettos, said: “When people decide to move, they’re searching for more than just a house - they want a home, a lifestyle that works for them and their family, and if they’re strategic, a long-term investment too. Our 2025 ‘Top 300 Best Places To Live’ guide will give them that extra reassurance they need to make their search easier in these difficult economic times.”
James Cleland, head of country business at Knight Frank, said: “With hybrid working promoting greater flexibility and an enhanced work-life balance, new hotspots are emerging nationwide as the demand for more space continues. When it comes to where to live, more than ever people want a vibrant and tight-knit community.
“It’s a trend that deepened during the pandemic and is likely to remain a leading factor for those looking to relocate.” Find Beverley and the rest of the Top 300 Best Places to Live here.