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Horsforth ranked as happiest place in Leeds

The town sits just five miles from Leeds centre.
A small town street with parked cars lining both sides. On the left are shops including a Costa Coffee and a Halifax bank ATM where a person is using the machine. On the right are more shops such as Betfred and a convenience store. The sky is overcast, and a few pedestrians are walking along the pavements. The street is one-way, indicated by blue arrow signs, and the buildings have a mix of stone and brick façades.
Source: Horsforth. George Jenkins. All Rights

A survey has put Horsforth as the happiest place to live in Leeds.

The survey, which was led by furniture outlet Furniturebox, looked at several aspects when ranking the happiest places to live across the UK.

These included surrounding beauty and green spaces, provision of good state schools, amount of affordable housing, and access to quality pubs, restaurants, independent shops, and cultural attractions.

Horsforth ranked highest under the Leeds category, beating out the likes of Alwoodley, Bramhope, Chapel Allerton, and Meanwood.

Horsforth Town Councillor, David Brosnan, said: “It’s a really good place to be, you can feel the vibe in the streets, and times are hard at the moment, but Horsforth does really well trying to keep that upbeat spirit.

“Horsforth always seemed to lag behind other areas in Leeds; I’ll name Chapel Allerton, which is another fantastic place, Farsley, but we feel as though Horsforth is catching up with those areas now.

“I think everyone who lives in Horsforth is happy in Horsforth.”

Horsforth is home to several highly regarded independent businesses, most notably Bavette Bistro, which opened early last year and won The Good Food Guide Best Local Restaurant award 2024.

Elsewhere in town is Forde, a restaurant owned by MasterChef runner-up Matt Healy, who was born and raised in Horsforth.

Landlady of The Old King’s Arms, Lyndsey Acaster, said: “I think there’s a real sense of community here, there’s plenty of independent businesses, and everyone looks after each other.

“As a pub landlady, you become part of everybody’s families, you see their kids grow up, leave for university, come back; in fact, a lot of them work for us.

“I’m very happy in Horsforth, I’ve never left and I never plan to leave; this is my home.”

A large two-story stone pub building with tall rectangular windows and a central entrance beneath a small balcony. The sign at the top reads “THE OLD KING’S ARMS.” A hanging lantern is above the doorway, and string lights are draped across the facade. To the left of the entrance is a signboard with the pub’s logo, and to the right, a chalkboard-style sign advertises that it is a family-run, dog-friendly British pub. Some greenery is in front of the building, and a person with a camera is visible in the lower left corner.Source: George Jenkins | All Rights Reserved

Horsforth hosts an array of stunning green spaces, such as the Japanese Gardens in Horsforth Hall Park, and sitting just a 10-minute train journey from Leeds station, it’s a must-visit for many Yorkshire locals.

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George Jenkins

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