Winchester is loved by its residents and tourists alike drawing visitors in their droves, with upwards of 5.6 million people heading to the picturesque city centre every year.

It is deemed a historic and wonderful place which has been crowned the “best place to live” in Hampshire for 2023, according to the women’s lifestyle website, Muddy Stilettos.

Heritage buildings are scattered across the skyline, streets are lined with sweet cottages, it is quintessentially English city.

One of the many reasons it is seen as a desirable place to live is because of its close proximity to London. Just an hour away on the train, you can commute to the UK’s capital without having to live there. Regionally speaking, it is also a 30-minute drive from Portsmouth and Southampton.

READ MORE: The beautiful little city that used to be England’s capital instead of London

Hero Brown, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Muddy Stilettos previously described Winchester as a long-term investment. She said: “When people decide to move, they’re searching for more than just a house – they want a home, a lifestyle that works for them and their family, and if they’re strategic, a long-term investment too.”

Winchester is undoubtedly a prosperous area, and the average sold price for a property in the last 12 months was £626,539. Semi-detatched houses average at £564,346.  Winchester consists of houses from all periods, ranging from Victorian villas, to spacious Georgian townhouses and modern new builds.

As Hampshire Live reports, as the nation’s former capital, the city has a long and interesting past with its huge cathedral overlooking the Georgian-looking streets, flanked by the ancient flint city walls.

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Back in the 9th Century, King Alfred the Great reimagined the whole city so that it was better protected against Viking raids.

He created a grid-like layout, similar to New York’s in America, which has made it through to the present day. The King himself was buried in Hyde Abbey, and a statue was erected in Winchester in 1899.

Deep-rooted in literature, Winchester iswasalso home to Jane Austin’s final home before she died at the age of 41. The house is Number 8 on College Street, and there she was looked after by her sister, Cassandra, and brother-in-law Henry before her death.

The Hampshire city is home to 124,295 according to the 2018 Census and Life expectancy rates in Winchester are noted as higher than the national average. Men can expect to live to around 82-years-old, while women could expect to live to 85 years of age.

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