The best of the rest... East of England's finest

Bedford, Bedfordshire Universal Studios’ decision to build a multi-billion pound park has thrust this unsung market town into the global spotlight and raised the prospect of new jobs and improvements.

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Norwich Cathedral

(WILLIAM HELSEL)

It may not be renowned for its beauty, but comfortably multicultural Bedford has good schools, lovely parks and redbrick Victorian houses for far less than in neighbouring Herts and Bucks. And the already convenient connections are only set to get better: East West Rail is scheduled to be fully up and running in the mid-2030s, linking Bedford to Oxford, Cambridge and Milton Keynes.

Norwich, Norfolk

Norwich was chosen for its unique blend of historic character, urban buzz and liveability.

It's the only UK city inside a national park and the only location to have featured in all 14 editions of the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.