A south London borough known for its green spaces and community atmosphere has been named as one of the best places to live in England.
The Times has named Sutton as number eight on a list of England’s best places to live, with Richmond and Merton as number one and number four respectively.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland were listed separately.
To get this data, The Times combined nine different data sets, covering a range of different categories for every local authority in the country.
This included the number of Ofsted ratings, local crime rates, the number of listed properties and Green Flag spaces in each area.
Sutton was the third area in London on the list and sixth area in the south of England.
According to data gathered by The Times, Ofsted has rated 17 per cent of Sutton schools outstanding.
The borough has 14 outstanding schools, nine of which are primary, four secondary, and one special school.
Among some of the top-rated schools were Avenue Primary Academy and St Cecilia’s Catholic Primary School.
Sutton is well known for being one of south London’s cheapest places to live, with the average house price costing £439,000.
Sutton is a leafy borough, with several green spaces and parks, including Beddington Park and Nonsuch Park.
It also has convenient transport links with a journey to Central London being just 30 minutes by train.
The bus network also provides regular services to neighbouring towns, such as Wimbledon, Croydon and Kingston.
Sutton boasts a vibrant dining scene with several popular restaurants and cafes, with the Sound Lounge, and the multi-award-winning LA Café opposite Sutton station.
For a quintessential British pub experience, The Shinner and Sudtone stand out as a beloved local spot, renowned for its traditional Sunday roasts and extensive drinks menu.
Just a short distance away in Carshalton, The Hope has been crowned Sutton Pub of the Year by CAMRA an impressive seven times in the last 15 years, a testament to its enduring popularity.
With a strong community spirit, festivals are held all over the borough, including The Sutton Music Festival and the Carshalton Frost Fair during Christmas.
History buffs can delve into Sutton’s rich past at the Whitehall Museum and Honeywood Museum, both showcasing the town’s heritage and the stories of those who once lived in these historic homes.
As well as being named one of the best places to live by The Times, Sutton was also named as one of the best places to retire by The Telegraph.
