WAVERLEY has been ranked the fifth best rural place to live in the UK in the latest quality of life survey by bank Halifax.

The annual Halifax 2018 Rural Areas Quality of Life Survey assesses a range of factors, including health, employment, crime rates as well as education, housing, broadband speed, pollution, weather and leisure facilities.

Orkney has been ranked as the best rural place to live in the UK after scoring highly for strong education and employment levels, low crime rates and anxiety levels, not to mention breathtaking wide open spaces, followed by Rutland in the East Midlands, Wychavon, Winchester and Waverley.

It marks a rise from 14th place in 2017 for Waverley - which performed well in the Personal Well-Being Survey, as well as having high male and female life expectancy, and registering the highest wages of £921 per week, followed by neighbouring East Hampshire (£883 per week). The UK average is £655 per week.

Waverley was also second best in the UK for the proportion of adults (16-plus years) with the highest level of qualification gained (such as a degree, NVQ level 4 and above, or professional qualification) at 54 per cent - behind only Winchester (55.8 per cent), and significantly above the GB average of 35.6 per cent.

Halifax managing director Russell Galley said: “The winning formula for quality of life in the countryside seems to consistently include high employment levels and top scores on wellbeing, along with low school class sizes and high average spend per pupil – more than twice the national average.

“However, there is more variety and balance across the country scoring strongly across each category this year, with rural areas in the south east receiving higher weekly earnings, while the East Midlands have larger property sizes.

“On the southern coast, sunnier climates shine through in the rankings, while, lower house prices to earnings, wellbeing and class sizes give northern areas the desirability factor.”

Almost one third of the top 50 best rural places to live are in the south and east – including nine districts in the South-East.