Leigh has been crowned as one of the best places to live for 2024, according to lifestyle website Muddy Stilettos.

The website creates a 'best places to live' list each year for England and breaks it down regionally. Now, the 2024 list has been unveiled with the ten Essex entrants named.

Muddy Stilettos describes Leigh as one of the county's "hippest property hotspots", combining a "buzzy café culture with Old Town charm".

Echo: Marie Gofted took this photo of the Crooked Billet - which was hailed by Muddy StilettosMarie Gofted took this photo of the Crooked Billet - which was hailed by Muddy Stilettos (Image: Marie Gofted)

Describing why the picturesque town was chosen, the website states: "Coffee houses, trendy bars and a sandy shoreline lined by characterful cockle sheds. Meet Leigh-on-Sea; Southend’s smaller, trendier sister.

"Thanks to a steady stream of relocating Londoners, it blends small-town-seaside charm with hip hospitality offerings. There’s even an artisan vegan-friendly gelato house, which doesn’t come more ‘Shoreditch of Essex’ than that."

Echo: 'Best kept secret' - Leigh's Bell Wharf Beach'Best kept secret' - Leigh's Bell Wharf Beach (Image: File photo)

Leigh's high-performing schools, outstanding nurseries, and wide range of independent shops were listed among the reasons it has been named as one of the best places to live. 

Bell Wharf Beach was named as the town's "best kept secret" and the Muddy Stilettos team are "watching this space" for the return of the popular Sand Bar restaurant.

Earlier this year, Leigh was ranked the best place to live in Essex by the website after readers voted on the Best Places to Live 2023 list. 

What were the ten best places to live in Essex?

  • Stock
  • Wivenhoe
  • Chelmsford
  • Saffron Walden
  • Thaxted
  • Leigh
  • Brentwood
  • Great Dunmow
  • Frinton
  • Colchester

A Muddy Stilettos spokesman shared on Facebook: "Come on in! We're thrilled to a launch our brand new Best Places To Live 2024 in association with Strutt and Parker - essential reading, whether you’re looking to move, or are just curious to see if your neighbourhood has made the cut (well, has it?!).

"We’ve used our unrivalled insider local knowledge on schools, shops, commutes, culture and eating out to shortlist 260 gorgeous villages, towns and cities across our 28 ‘Muddy’ counties and beyond."