Wokingham the best town to raise a family in England and Wales

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Its most famous son is Will Young and 400 years ago it was notorious for bull baiting but now Wokingham has another claim to fame after being named as the best town in England and Wales to bring up a family.

Pop Idol obsessives and historians apart, most might struggle to name something distinctive about Wokingham... until now.

The Berkshire market town has topped a family life poll which examined factors including quality of schools and childcare provision.

Kate Moore of Family Investments, which commissioned the survey, said: ‘Wokingham’s place at the top of our table reflects its combination of excellent school results, relative affordability for young families and low crime levels.'

She added: 'Everybody has different ideas about what makes a great location to start a family and bring up a child and we have tried to be as comprehensive as possible in gathering information on the factors parents have told us are most important.

'Of course we do recognise there are some factors that can't be measured, such as the valuable support provided by family and friends that live close by.'

The town, which is 53km (33 miles) from London and has a population of 30,000, is well-equipped with facilities including private and state schools and art galleries.

The survey also found that its good transport links and the nearby M4 make it an attractive town for business.

TOP TEN

1. Wokingham, Berkshire

2. Woodley, Berkshire

3. Chulmleigh, Devon

4. Lightwater, Surrey

5. Shebbear, Devon

6. Oakham, Rutland

7. Bromley Cross, Lancashire

8. Bingham, Nottinghamshire

9. Chinnor, Oxfordshire

10. Yarm, Teeside

Source: metro.co.uk