STROUD has come top in an online poll of the best places to live in Gloucestershire.

Award-winning lifestyle site Muddy Stilettos asked its readers to vote for their favourites, with the ultimate aim of compiling a Top 200 Best Places to Live guide.

And Stroud proved to be the most popular of the eight potential candidates in Gloucestershire.

A spokeswoman for Muddy Stilettos said: "From market towns to villages, hamlets to commuter favourites, each of the 200 locations were independently picked by the highly trusted editorial team and then over 21,000 readers went on to vote.

"The vote revealed the strength of passion for each town or village’s sense of community, quality of local facilities, and immediate surroundings.

"Stroud was voted as the most popular place to live with its bustling, arty community, plenty of great schools on the doorstep, vibrant shopping area, plus the easy commute into London.

"With its rolling fields, weekly Farmers’ Market and gentler pace of life it boasts an average house price of £291,911 – a distinctly affordable figure compared to neighbouring Cotswold towns."

The results of the Muddy Stillettos Gloucestershire most popular towns and villages were as follows:

1 Stroud

2 Cheltenham

3 Lechlade-on-Thames

4 Tetbury

5 Cirencester

6 Stow-on-the-Wold

7 Tewkesbury

8 Painswick

For full results in Gloucestershire go to https://muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/