You may have heard recently that Marple ranked 15th in the best places to live in England and Wales.

The town placed in a 'top 20 best places to live' list produced by Garrington Property Finders, a national estate agent. 

However, as well as choosing a top 20, Garrington also produced a comprehensive ranking of 1429 locations in England and Wales - so how did the rest of Stockport fare?

Quite well, as it happens.

Stockport ranked 57 out of 1429 - for comparison, it is a fair degree higher than every other local authority in Greater Manchester, excluding parts of Trafford.

Not a bad finish for Stockport, beating the likes of Knutsford, Lymm, and many areas in Greater Manchester (Image - Alasdair Perry)

Which places ranked higher than Stockport?

• Twyford in Berskshire picked up the number one spot.
• Bowdon in Trafford placed at number five.
• Marple, as we have seen, ranked at number 15.
• Macclesfield won a place at number 42.
• Altrincham - also in Trafford - finished just above Stockport at 48.

Which places ranked lower than Stockport?

• Manchester city centre placed at 135.
• Richmond upon Thames finished at 177, praised for its culture but losing points for its expensiveness.
• Poynton sits in a solid position at 192, best ranked for its natural environment
• Knutsford earned what some would describe as a poor finish, at 249.
• Salford finished in the top quarter of the list, at 350.
• Bury ranked similarly with Salford, at 363.
• Oldham was also close by, at 383.
• Bolton came lower down the list, but still around the top third, at 460.
• Rochdale placed at 483.
• Wigan ranked the worst of all local authorities in Manchester, at 829.

Garrington said locations were ranked according to average house price, heritage, natural beauty, wellbeing, and employment / schools.

Stockport picked up most points for its schools, employment and connectivity, and was also praised for its heritage and culture.

Separately, Marple placed so highly that it got its own write-up from Garrington.

Marple boasts a thriving local high street, outsanding rural beauty, and close proximity to Stockport and Manchester (Image - Alexander Greensmith)

The estate agents said: "The town is within easy reach of the big city – it boasts two train stations and is just 10 miles from central Manchester – but offers a gentler pace of life. 

"Marple's rural location and famous canalside walks earned it [a high] place in the natural beauty category of our ranking."

And the future looks bright for Marple, with a £20m library and leisure centre in the pipeline, new shop openings, and a busy, characteristic local high street. 

Ranking at number one on the list was Twyford in Berkshire. Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, Bowden picked up the number four slot. 

Find the full rankings HERE.

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