A survey of 5,000 people has found that the most stylish place to live in the UK isn’t any of the big cities – it’s a medieval town in the Suffolk countryside.

The village, which is called Lavenham, is full of period houses and buildings – many of which have been painted Suffolk pink – and was made famous by landscape artist John Constable.

Nowadays, it’s a popular shoot location for films and TV shows, such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and BBC1’s Lovejoy.

Part of what makes it so special is the sheer number of colourful and well-preserved medieval buildings you can find there.

Locations like Lavenham were ranked in the survey, which was conducted by Furniturebox, based on the beauty of the buildings within their boundaries as well as the surrounding scenery.

Participants also ranked these places based on their popularity with artists and as filming locations.

Second place was taken up by Morpeth in Northumberland, which is a historic town paved in cobbled streets and dotted with market stalls. The popular ITV drama Vera was also recently filmed there.

In third place came Selborne in Hampshire, which is on the border of the South Downs National Park. A new BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations was also shot there.

Following close behind was Richmond in North Yorkshire, which came in fourth, and Nuneham Courtenay in Oxfordshire, which was fifth.

A Furniturebox spokesperson said: ‘Lavenham in Suffolk is the most stylish place to live in the UK, narrowly beating Morpeth in Northumberland in second place.

‘Lavenham is loved for its quirky architecture and famous crooked house.

‘All 20 places on the list would have been worthy winners and show why the UK is such a stylish country, loved by artists, filmmakers and tourists from all over the world.

‘What is interesting is how many of the most stylish locations were not the most affluent places in their locality.’

The 20 most stylish places to live in the UK

1. Lavenham, Suffolk

2. Morpeth, Northumberland

3. Selborne, Hampshire

4. Richmond, North Yorkshire

5. Nuneham Courtenay, Oxfordshire

6. Port Isaac, Cornwall

7. Stamford, Lincolnshire

8. Arisaig, Inverness-shire

9. Ambleside, Cumbria

10. Cheddar, Somerset

11. Tenby, Pembrokeshire

12. Castle Combe, Wiltshire

13. Ludlow, Shropshire

14. Clovelly, Devon

15. Chester, Cheshire

16. Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire

17. Bewdley, Worcestershire

18. Cirencester, Gloucestershire

19. Tenterden, Kent

20. Downham, Lancashire

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