OFFICIAL: Petersfield Named One of UK's BEST Places to Live as Sunday Times Crowns Hampshire Market Town

Pop the champagne, Petersfield. The cat is well and truly out of the bag.

The Sunday Times has officially named our beloved market town as one of the top 11 places to live in the entire South East of England — putting Petersfield in the same bracket as affluent Cookham, trendy Deal, and the chocolate-box villages of the Surrey Hills.

For anyone who's ever defended Petersfield against smug city-dwellers who think Hampshire is just a motorway service station between London and Southampton, this is vindication. OFFICIAL vindication.

What the Judges Said

The Sunday Times panel — who assess locations on schools, transport, amenities, broadband, green space, and community spirit — were particularly impressed by Petersfield's volunteer culture.

"The Hampshire market town of Petersfield was highlighted for its close-knit community, with volunteers helping run everything from the Physic Garden to the popular open-air pool," the guide notes.

That's right — while other towns struggle to get anyone to help with anything, Petersfield's army of volunteers keeps the wheels turning. The Physic Garden. The lido. The countless community groups and charities that make this town tick. It didn't go unnoticed.

The Full South East List

Petersfield finds itself in distinguished company. The full South East of England list reads:

1. **Lindfield, West Sussex** — The regional winner 2. **Amersham, Buckinghamshire** 3. **Caversham, Reading** 4. **Cookham, Berkshire** 5. **Deal, Kent** 6. **Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire** 7. **Petworth, West Sussex** 8. **Petersfield, Hampshire** — That's us! 9. **St Leonards, East Sussex** 10. **Surrey Hills** 11. **Test Valley, Hampshire**

Two Hampshire entries in the top 11. Not bad for a county that London types still think is somewhere vaguely rural on the way to Cornwall.

The Test Valley Also Makes the Cut

It's not just Petersfield flying the Hampshire flag. The Test Valley — covering 250 square miles of grassland, wetlands, and ancient woodland — was praised for its "glorious countryside" and strong sense of place.

The judges noted its chocolate-box villages, thriving arts scene, and growing reputation for local food and drink. Anyone who's explored the villages around Stockbridge or spent an afternoon wandering through Mottisfont knows exactly what they mean.

What Makes Petersfield Special

Let's be honest — we already knew this. But it's nice to have it written down by people from London who presumably know about these things.

Petersfield works because it's real. It's not a museum piece preserved in aspic for wealthy weekenders. It's a proper working market town where the butcher knows your name, where you bump into people you know on every trip to the high street, and where community actually means something.

The open-air pool — run entirely by volunteers and community passion — is a perfect example. Where else in the South East can you swim outdoors in a historic lido that the community refused to let die? That takes dedication. That takes love. That takes Petersfield.

The Property Price Reality Check

Of course, there's always a catch with these lists. Recognition tends to push prices up. Petersfield isn't cheap to begin with, and being officially named among the best places to live won't help.

For those already here: congratulations, your property value just got another boost. For those hoping to move in: best get saving.

Not Everyone Will Be Happy

The inevitable grumbles will follow. "Now everyone will want to come here." "It'll ruin the character." "Bloody Sunday Times."

But here's the thing: Petersfield has survived discovery before. The town's been attracting newcomers for decades, and the community has absorbed them without losing its soul. That's part of what makes it special.

New residents don't parachute in and change Petersfield. Petersfield changes them. They join the volunteer rotas. They start saying hello to strangers. They get drawn into the community whether they intended to or not.

That's the magic. That's why the Sunday Times noticed. And that's why, despite everything, Petersfield will probably be just fine.

The Pride Is Real

Local councillors and residents have been sharing the news with barely-concealed smugness. Helen Davies, Best Places to Live editor, summed up what every entry on the list has in common:

"One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home."

Proud? Walk around Petersfield on market day. Talk to the volunteers at the Physic Garden. Watch the swimmers ploughing up and down the lido on a chilly morning. Listen to the conversations in The Square. Pride doesn't begin to cover it.

This is a town that knows what it's got. And now, officially, so does everyone else.

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*The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2026 guide is available now.*