An overlooked city in Norfolk was crowned as the 'best place to live in the UK', and its residents all said the same thing.
Situated along the River Wensum and just over an hour's train journey from Cambridge, and less than two hours from London, is the medieval city of Norwich. Known as the 'City of Stories', it's characterised by its narrow cobbled lanes, like those on Elm Hill, its medieval architecture of timber-framed buildings, its Norman 12th-century castle, and two striking cathedrals.
Impressively, Norwich holds the status of England's first UNESCO City of Literature, has Dutch influences, and is known as one of the best-preserved medieval cities in England. It's also famed for its thriving 900-year-old outdoor market and independent scene, with around 500 shops, cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars and venues around the city, 300 of which line the courtyards and narrow streets of the iconic Norwich Lanes.
Yet, despite its rich history, striking architecture and extraordinary multitude of flourishing independent businesses, locals say the city can be 'forgotten about' and 'people miss it'. So it came as welcoming news when Norwich topped The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2026 guide, although its residents already knew that, despite feeling overlooked.
Leanne Fridd, who owns the independent children's book shop, Bookbugs and Dragon Tales, with her husband, Dan Fridd, exclusively told the Express: "When we were named as the best place to live in the UK, I would say most people in Norfolk went 'well yeah'. We already know it. But we do get forgotten about because of our location."
On what makes Norwich stand out, Leanne said: "There are so many independent businesses in Norwich that it creates more of a community feel. So I do think that's a large part of it.
"The city is quite vibrant, exciting, and we have incredible events from Norwich BID, a non-profit organisation. We have wine week, Norwich Book Festival, summer festivals and 'go out, not home', where all along the pedestrian areas there are bands, plays and theatre, which are all free."
Dan added: "There's the Forum, we've got a massive library in the middle of the city, which was built as the Millennium Library because the old one burnt down. That's incredible, and it's just a lovely space to be, it's a big, open community area and has a lovely café in it."
Yet, Leanne noted there's much more to the city than first meets the eye. "It's not on the way to anything, and it's not trying to be anything. It also has a huge history through hundreds and hundreds of years of rebellion, quiet dissent, being a little bit naughty, and it does it in a really Norfolk-y way," she shared.
Dan added: "We stayed in the 17th century and we were the second city of England, the next city after London. Mostly because of the wool trade, and then we benefited hugely from immigration, from the Walloons and the Dutch area, they all brought their skills and knowledge in."
"There's a real melting pot of culture, and because of the two universities, we have a lot of people moving here," Leanne said. Her husband also mentioned: "One of the things we're famous for is that people will come here for university, or for some other reason, and they won't be able to leave afterwards because they just love it so much."
Leanne also shared: "It wasn't cool growing up, but it's become cool and actually, I'm incredibly proud of Norwich and being part of it because I think we have this real rebel spirit. But no one's in a rush - it’s the Norfolk way".
Karen Williams, owner of For the Love of Norfolk, based in the iconic Norwich market, couldn't agree more with the city's title. "What makes Norwich such a lovely place is that we're a bit off the beaten track, so we're a bit harder to get to, but once you're here, it's worth it", she told the Express.
"We're so close to the coast, and we've got the Broads National Park, so within a matter of minutes, you can be out in nature. Norwich itself is quite compact, so we've got everything here, but it's all actually within a 10-minute walk, and it's so historical as well."
Karen, who was accompanied by her beloved sausage dog, Reggie, added: "We are a bit out on a limb, and we do get bypassed a lot. People skip it because when people go north to south, they just go straight up and straight down.
"I do think locals take it for granted, but being here [in her shop], I get to hear everything from visitors, and they're just blown away by it. They say, 'We wish we had history like this' or 'I wish our city wasn't so industrial'."
She quipped: "And Norfolk is definitely better than Suffolk!"
Despite being a city, its community feel is evident to anyone who wanders around Norwich. They even have a dedicated team of volunteers, known as 'Norwich City Hosts', who are situated around the city to assist visitors with information or directions, and they are equally as chuffed with their national recognition.
Stopping for a chat, City Host, Fiona, told the Express: "Norwich is compact and easy to get around, and it's got some of the best preserved medieval buildings in the country, a fantastic market, a brilliant art scene, not just paintings but all kinds of stuff. We have Norfolk & Norwich Festival in May, Norwich Summer Sessions, and it's within easy reach of the coast."
"We get a lot of tourists coming into Norwich, and a lot of people say they didn't realise how nice Norwich was and how much there is to see. There are two cathedrals, the castle and the river.
"There's also the Britons Arms on Elm Hill, the oldest street, which is a coffee shop. The building itself is one of the oldest buildings in Europe."
"The city is brilliant", City Host, Malcolm added. "I've lived in Norfolk all my life. A lot of people visit and just stay."
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