Usk has been named amongst a list of the best places to live in Wales, in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.

The Monmouthshire town is one of six locations across the country chosen by the Sunday Times to represent the best of the UK.

Other locations in Wales included Llandeilo (Carmarthenshire), Conwy (Gwynedd), Penarth (Vale of Glamorgan), Ruthin (Denbighshire) and St Dogmaels (Pembrokeshire).

Writing about Usk in the guide, the Sunday Times Best Places to Live judges said: “The extraordinary community spirit of last year’s best-in-Wales continues undimmed.

“The Usk in Bloom volunteers have planted thousands of bulbs, there’s a new arboretum on the way and the many community groups are thriving.

“The houses are beautiful, it’s paradise for dog-walkers and the sporting opportunities are second to none.”

According to the guide, average house prices in Usk are £410,000, a growth of 14% since 2020.

The comprehensive Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide, which includes 70 locations, is released online today and an edited version will be available in the paper on Sunday.

The expert judges behind the guide assess a wide range of factors, from schools, transport and broadband to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street.

They look to celebrate improving towns, villages or city centres, attractive, well-designed homes and locations bursting with community spirit – which the pandemic has shown to be the most vital quality of all.

An average house price for each location has been supplied by Halifax, the sponsor of the guide, and up-to-date information on broadband speeds has been provided by Thinkbroadband.com, the UK’s leading independent guide to broadband.

Helen Davies, The Times and Sunday Times Property Editor said: “The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place. For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What arethe schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people?

“Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the Work From Home revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed — and how welcome that change is.

“This year we have discovered new best places to live, from resurgent city centres in the North, rejuvenated suburbs across the country, hidden villages in the Southwest, and a commutable Scottish island.

“We hope there is something to suit everyone.”

For more information on the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide please visit https://www.thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-live