The 10 best UK towns for raising a family (copy)

Historic centres and a balance between town and country mark the ten places perfect for raising children

New research to measure the quality of life in towns and cities throughout Britain has revealed that Ashbourne in Derbyshire is the best place in the country to bring up a family.

The market town has a winning combination of factors including good schools, low crime rates, access to the Peak District and a relatively affordable average house price of £200,000.

Dean Mann, a director of local estate agency Scargill Mann, told the Derby Telegraph: “Ashbourne is a market town with a lot of history, fantastic rural areas immediately near you, such as Thorpe Cloud, the Stepping Stones and the Peak District National Park. There’s a good, strong community-feel in the town and it’s very vibrant and positive – the traders all work together.”

He added: “There have been improvements from the local authority, some good new housing and the correct mixture of new houses to meet families’ demands. We’ve still got character properties, facilities are improving with its cafes and bars and the schooling is excellent – all the schools have got a very good reputation.”

Ashbourne beat several illustrious contenders to the number one spot in a top ten created by online estate agency Yopa.com. The findings are part of a wider initiative called the Happy Family Home Guide to help movers find their perfect place to live, based on metrics such as the number of schools, air pollution and even local drug use and obesity levels.

Research by the company found that 40 per cent of parents prioritise family health and well being over the success of their own careers - inf act, over 4 million people in Britain have considered moving for the sake of their children.

Walton-on-Thames in Surrey came in second, with Harrogate in Yorkshire taking third place. The largest city to make the list was Edinburgh, at number ten.

According to David Jacobs, the co-founder of Yopa, more than half of British parents are willing to relocate for a better quality of life. Speaking to the Daily Express he said: “There is a good mix of locations in the top ten list and it’s interesting to note their geographical spread across the country.

Ashbourne’s recognition follows a YouGov survey that found Derbyshire is the tenth most popular county in the UK, making it a successful couple of weeks for the area. Dorset topped the YouGov poll, followed by Devon and Cornwall, as the South West dominated the podium places.

Here are the top ten towns and cities to raise a family:

1. Ashbourne, Derbyshire

2. Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

3. Harrogate, North Yorkshire

4. Inverness, Inverness-shire

5. Tunbridge Wells, Kent

6. St Albans, Hertfordshire

7. Esher, Surrey

8. Eastleigh, Hampshire

9. Brentwood, Essex

10 Edinburgh, Scotland