But that wasn\u2019t all. Several places near \u2013 but not in \u2013 London featured in the Guardian\u2019s wider list. These are places within easy reach of the city, where you get to enjoy the best of London life without some of the less-good bits.<\/p>\n
So what are these two cheery places within easy distance of the capital? Let\u2019s dive into it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lewes<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Lewes<\/a> is just an hour by train from London Victoria, and the Guardian praised the East Sussex town for its food options (like its\u00a0Friday Food Market), cultural attractions (such as Glyndebourne opera house and the legendary annual Bonfire Night traditions) and access to nature.<\/p>\n Often named<\/a> among the nation\u2019s prettiest towns, Lewes is inside South Downs National Park and just a short drive from the seaside. Gastronomy, culture and nature aside, the\u00a0Guardian\u00a0also picked out Lewes\u2019 range of vintage, boutique and outdoors shops as making the place more joyful.\u00a0<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in Lewes<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Aylesbury <\/strong><\/p>\n The other near-London spot in the Guardian\u2019s list was Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, which is about an hour\u2019s train from Marylebone. The newspapers said that from the train \u2018you can see chalk hills, wooded valleys, big fields with traces of medieval farming and flowering hawthorn hedges\u2019.<\/p>\n The Guardian continued to argue that Aylesbury boasts \u2018a strong sense of community, a mixed population, and great countryside\u2019, and says that the town\u2019s house prices are \u2018slightly more affordable\u2019 than elsewhere in the southeast.\u00a0<\/p>\n Beyond\u00a0an hour\u2019s commute<\/strong><\/p>\n Further afield than Lewes and Aylesbury, the Guardian\u2019s list features several other locations that are sort of near the capital \u2013 they\u2019re not as commutable, but they\u2019re easy enough to visit. Chichester<\/strong> in West Sussex was included (around an hour and a half from London), as was Evesham<\/strong> in Worcestershire (within a couple of hours of the capital by train), which came second overall. Devizes<\/strong> in Wiltshire, Newport<\/strong> on the Isle of Wight and Cirencester<\/strong> in the Cotswolds made the list, too.<\/p>\n You can find the Guardian\u2019s full list of the happiest places in Britain (with more detail on each choice) here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stay in the loop: sign up to our\u00a0free Time Out London newsletter<\/a>\u00a0for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Aylesbury,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1748078416_344_image.webp.webp\")
\nPhotograph: Shutterstock
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