Lifestyle blog Muddy Stilettos has published its list of the best places to live across the UK in 2024 - including a top 10 run-down of where to settle down in Bucks.
Muddy Stilettos has long been held as an authority on regional hotspots and hidden gems, annually engaging user votes and first-hand experience of restaurants, hotels, weekend getaways and more to compile comprehensive lists of the crème de la crème the UK has to offer.
Not every town or village in Buckinghamshire got a mention in the blog's guide to the best places to live across the UK in 2024, but researchers did handpick ten places in the county they considered to be the best places for newcomers to put down roots, after taking into consideration everything from schools and local amenities to historical and cultural value.
According to Muddy Stilettos, the ten best places to live in Buckinghamshire in 2024 are as follows:
Olney
According to the blog, Olney’s foodie establishments, quirky retailers, proximity to historic monuments and woodland, not to mention its one-of-a-kind Arches Theatre, constructed under four disused railway arches, make it one of the most desirable places to live in Buckinghamshire.
Brill
Muddy Stilettos bloggers have included Brill in their top ten line-up because of its historic woodland and architecture – just 18 minutes from Waddesdon Manor - as well as its picturesque rural setting and great transport links. Specially mentioned is The Pointer, a cosy country pub and Brill’s Grade-II listed windmill.
Great Missenden
Described by Muddy Stilettos as a “postcard-perfect village”, Great Missenden gets a nod in the rundown of Buckinghamshire’s top 10 residencies due in part to its rich literary history – as the birthplace of the Roald Dahl classics 'Matilda', 'The BFG' and 'The Twits'. Propounding the town’s “storybook-like quality” is a range of culinary, cultural and educational utilities to explore.
Amersham
This historic town gets included in the Muddy Stilettos' top 10 list on the basis of its half-timbered buildings and period cottages – with its Old and New Towns both offering a range of independent retailers as well as a handful of Michelin-starred restaurants.
West Wycombe
Right next door to High Wycombe, this National Trust-owned village has been the setting of films from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ to ‘Bridget Jones’ Baby’ and gets a mention on the lifestyle blog’s latest listicle due to its multifaceted nature, with sweeping landscapes and historic buildings paired with strong transport links and nearby attractions including West Wycombe Park and the Hellfire Club.
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Chesham
Another commuter favourite, Chesham gets Muddy Stilettos’ points for its Underground access to London, scenic landscapes, including the River Chess and the Chesham Moor Outdoor Swimming Pool and its foodie gems, including the Scandinavian café Roots Coffee Food, which nabbed the Best Café award at the Muddy Awards earlier this year.
Turville
Another village in the Chiltern Hills that has made a splash on the big screen, Turville is the setting of ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ as well as the classic ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ film. With rustic buildings, red brick pubs and hamlets. The quiet village is also equidistant from Henley, Marlow and High Wycombe.
Gerrards Cross
Described as a ‘mini-Hollywood’ by Muddy Stilettos bloggers, Gerrards Cross has been the home to celebrities from Amal Clooney and Fern Britton to a handful of premier league footballers. Special shout-outs in this listing include the Bib Gourmand-awarded gastropub The Apple Tree and the family-run Italian Di Paolo.
Marlow
This Thames-side town combines Victorian architecture, a vibrant and Michelin-starred restaurant scene and a range of independent retailers with plenty of open green space, from Higginson Park to the nearby Greys Court and Cliveden National Trust properties. A Muddy Stilettos’ standout element is Bisham Woods, the nearby Woodland Trust site that inspired ‘The Wind in the Willows’.
Beaconsfield
Another Bucks town steeped in history, Beaconsfield makes the Muddy Stilettos cut partly for its Old Town Tudor and Georgian structures, and its buzzy culinary scene – which includes the “bonkers” Crazy Bear hotel and the certified foodie favourite The Greyhound pub – as well as its stellar educational establishments and proximity to a range of attractions from Pinewood and Elstree Studios to the world’s oldest model village.
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