What did Rickmansworth make of Muddy Stilettos' ranking?

The lifestyle publication formed a 10-town shortlist in its Best Places to Live 2024 guide last October, following which it did regional votes to rank them during the summer.

Each area was judged on aspects including their sense of community, and quality of access to schools, restaurants, shops, and culture.

Following the top 10 finish, we visited Rickmansworth to quiz locals on what they made of the area.

Steve Harlow owns Wishful Drinking on the Rickmansworth high street. (Image: Newsquest)

'Wonderful' Rickmansworth

Steve Harlow, owner of pub and taproom Wishful Thinking, said: “I think sixth is underappreciating Rickmansworth, I think it should at least be in the top two."

Areas that came in for particular praise were the “fantastic array of shops”, “wonderful parking” and “wonderful council”.

Eugene, owner of clothes store Rocha, said: “I’m not surprised, it's a great town. I think one of the main reasons is that it's a commuter town with great links to London.”

The High Street is just minutes from the London Underground station, with frequent services on the Hammersmith and City Line and Overground via Chiltern Railways.

• Local town voted sixth best place to live in Herts
• Zaza Rickmansworth shuts for good after refurb closure

Watford - despite having the most Green Flag parks in Hertfordshire - failed to make the cut, while St Albans came top, followed by Tring, Hitchin, Hertford and Welwyn Garden City. Bishop’s Stortford, Letchworth Garden City, Buntingford, and Royston made up the list.

'Suffering High Street'

Although residents and businesses were proud of the area, a common theme was the plight of the high street. It was described as an area that had “suffered” or “gone down” in recent years - particularly since Covid.

Rickmansworth resident Sarah Kelly was among those happy with the ranking but said a dearth of  "nicer shops" was the reason it wasn't higher.

Bridgette Early, partner at Meat Like It Used To Be, hailed the "good schools, shops and accessibility", but said "better night life" was needed as outside working hours there was nothing going on. 

Bridgette Early is a partner at a local Butchers shop. (Image: Newsquest)

But reiterating numerous positives, she added: “It's close to the M25, close to London, location-wise is brilliant, and it's close to the countryside so there are some beautiful walks and infrastructure.”

Resident Sarah Kelly, said: the people that live here are brilliant. (Image: Newsquest)

It became increasingly clear that while people were certainly proud of the area, and not surprised by the nod from Muddy Stilettos, a perceived struggling high street with limited nightlife is holding it back for some. The recent closure of Zaza won't have helped ease those fears.

There are several chain cafes on the high street (left) while restaurants are shutting down (right). (Image: Newsquest)

With high street struggles nationwide well-documented, there is no quick fix. However, with such an array of positives, Rickmansworth will always be attractive for new businesses which could see the offering grow in future. And as highlighted by almost everybody, the area is crammed with other positives that certainly justify its sixth-placed ranking.