Bury St Edmunds named the best place to live in the East of England

The Sunday Times has named Bury St Edmunds the best place to live in the East of England.

Bury was top amongst the ten places in the East that were mentioned in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live in Britain guide.

The guide praised the way that Bury was turning into a 'buzzy cultural hub without losing its neighbourly way of life'. They mentioned the Northgate Hotel, for its foraged Martinis, Hunter jazz club, and the Abbeygate Cinema.

They also referenced it's location, less than an hour from the coast, and good local schools.

The guide uses statistics, provided by Habito and TwentyCi, and the knowledge of the Sunday Times's expert panel to select 101 places from around Britain and crown one winner as the best place to live in the country.

Helen Davies, The Sunday Times Home editor said: "This year we were looking for community spirit along with convenience and culture. There is so much going on around the country, and so many great places that the choice was a hard one."

Daniel Hegarty, Founder and CEO at Habito, the online mortgage broker said: "The Sunday Times Best Places to Live really is essential reading for anyone looking to buy, move or renovate their home in the UK."

Other places in the east named in the guide included Manningtree in Essex, Blakeney in Norfolk, and Petersfield in Cambridge.

Mark Cordell, chief executive of Business Improvement District Our Bury St Edmunds, said: "It's absolutely fabulous news."

Mr Cordell praised the variety of things to do in Bury, from the history around the abbey and the cathedral, to the culture and The Apex, and the many cafés and restaurants run by local people in the town.

"We're not surprised to have received this accolade," he said.

The full list and winner will be released on Sunday 14 April, and can be viewed here.

The map below plots the 10 places in the list from the East of England.