Watford named one of most desirable places in the UK

The study identified the most popular places to live based on average property prices and Google search volume in the 12 months to June.

Coming in at third place, Watford has seen average house prices of £515,848 while there were 135,000 online enquiries for property in the area over the last year.

Watford's Grade-I listed St Mary's Church, which is the town's oldest building as it is thought to be at least 800 years old. (Image: Jason Ford) It came behind Cambridge in first place with 201,000 searches and Oxford and Reading in joint-second with 165,000 each, but beat nearby St Albans who saw just 90,500 search results.

'An evening walk in Cassiobury Park' by Stephen Smith. (Image: Stephen Smith) The researchers, for gambling firm Fabulous Vegas, said Watford offered residents easy access to London while maintaining an “affordable cost of living”.

• Watford snubbed on best London commuter towns list
• Study crowns Watford 'the UK’s best place to live and work'

The south east was named the most popular region after all with 35 of the top 100 most desirable places to live, whereas the east of England came in third place with 17.

Watford was crowned the “UK’s best place to live and work” in January. (Image: Rabindranath Martins/Watford Observer Camera Club) It comes after the town was snubbed on The Telegraph’s best 100 commuter towns to London, despite being crowned the “UK’s best place to live and work” in January.

In spite of its award-winning greenspaces and rail links to the capital, Watford was passed over while other Hertfordshire towns like St Albans, Stevenage and even Royston came in at 5th, 18th and 98th respectively.