The UK's least-known best place to live is a drive away from Manchester

With cobbled walkways and historic black and white timber framed cottages, the village of Malpas in Cheshire has plenty of picture postcard appeal. And now it can lay claim to topping a list of the 20 best 'secret' villages to live in the UK.

It claimed the number one spot in the list compiled by national newspaper The Times. Billed as the top 20 "friendliest and prettiest under-the-radar spots to move to", Malpas was the only place in the north west to make the grade.

The Times placed Malpas so highly after considering its sense of community, the appeal of its location and amenities. It said: "With a hilltop church that can be seen for miles and a smattering of half-timbered houses, Malpas scores highly for looks as well as liveliness."

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It also points out the equestrian links in the sprawling countryside all around it, with former Manchester United footballer Michael Owen also owning his famous racehorse stables in Malpas. From the top of the village where the historic St Oswald's church sits, there are stunning views out across Cheshire, Shropshire and as far as to the Welsh hills.

Other UK villages to make the top 20 secret village list were Barlaston in Staffordshire, Maenclochog in Pembrokeshire, Ebrington in Gloucestershire and Bishop Wilton in East Yorkshire.

Malpas resident Caroline Waterhouse sang the village's praises in The Times' feature. She said: "“It’s got everything. The schools are fantastic, all the shops are here, from a bookshop to a great bakery that champions local produce, and there’s a warm, loyal community.”

It says average house prices in Malpas are £393,000 and that you can snap up a "substantial five bedroom new build for £600,000". Or if your budget stretches a little further you can snap up an historic Georgian mansion for £1million.

The Times said it highlighted '20 villages that aren’t well known across the country but are always in demand among those in the know'. Malpas sits on top of the southernmost point of the Mid-Cheshire Sandstone Ridge, near Chester, with the Welsh border just five miles away.

The village dates back to medieval times, and it has long been thought that the name Malpas derives from the French words "Mal-pas" meaning bad passage, although others believe it was from the name of a previous lord of the manor.

It was once a thriving market town - but while neighbouring towns like Whitchurch exploded with development in the modern era, Malpas is one of those rare places that actually 'retreated' back in scale to a village, with the once thriving weekly markets dying out in the 19th century.

It still boasts two popular pubs - there's the 300-year-old The Lion at Malpas pub that recently underwent a major multi-million pound renovation. And across the road is The Crown, praised as an 'excellent village pub with good atmosphere' on Tripadvisor.

There's a village chippy, a farm shop and The Old Fire Station café and bar, as well as a large Co-op store that recently opened at the far end of the village.

The Times' feature also praised Malpas' location to major city centres, describing it as a 35 minute drive to Chester and noting that 'Liverpool and Manchester are not much further'.