And the Best Place to Live in Hants & IoW is…
Sitting mightily alongside the South Downs with great schools, green spaces and history at every turn, we have a worthy winner!
The hanging baskets were primped, the shop windows polished and it was a tooth-and-nail contest among Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s finest locales. But your votes in the inaugural Muddy ‘Best Places to Live’ competition have now been counted and…*drumroll*…. we’re delighted to announce that the worthy winner is:

The gorgeous, historic city in Winchester has it all – an iconic Cathedral, buzzy cafés, fabulous boutique, indie shopping and a big-name dining scene not found elsewhere outside London. Here, read our full Best Place to Live Guide on Winchester to get a 360 on what makes it so special, and check out the final voting results below.
1/ Winchester
2/ Lymington
3/ Alresford
4/ Stockbridge
5/ Wickham
6/ Cowes
7/ Minstead
8/ Bembridge
Want a peek over the border at the best places to live in Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex – or maybe plot the location for your next break or dream holiday home? Check out the full list of winners across 25 counties.
Don’t agree with the verdict? Let us know in the comments below if you rate a different Hampshire or Isle of Wight village, town or city and we’ll hotfoot it down there. It might make the cut for next time.