Its official Pateley Bridge is one of the best place to live in the country

The Sunday Times' Best Places to Live in Britain guide will have a familiar name on its list this weekend thanks to the efforts volunteers and community groups.

North Yorkshire claimed five of the eight spots after judges examined factors including jobs, exam results and broadband speed, community spirit and local shops.

Chairman of Nidderdale Chamber of Trade, Keith Tordoff, explained how the legacy from claiming the Best Village Award in the Great British High Street competition last year has just kept on giving.

Mr Tordoff: "The high street is the core and foundation of the area, and it is not built on sand.

"I think people are starting to wake up and see how high streets were taken for granted. Many places lost their high streets and people who say they want to fund raise have to go their supermarkets and go through a system, that is not the case here.

"I think it was a major factor for getting this, it put Pateley Bridge not just on the local but also the national and worldwide map.

"It is a hidden gem, it is a part of the Dales that is not often talked about now it is there.

"You would think that we were in Scotland because of the views we have, some of the best restaurants in the county, gin producers, smokehouses and butchers on the high street with people queuing up the high street.

"There is so much going on to sell, we just have to be proud. Some people might want to keep it a secret but the cat is out of the bag in style with these awards, Pateley Bridge is one the best place to live, work and so much more."

"As chairman as well as also as a member of the community I would like thank everybody who got behind this, all the volunteers who put in the effort for the area."

Mr Tordoff also praised the work done by schools, churches and similar groups to help raise the profile of the area.

This will be the fifth year the paper have compiled their prestigious list that ways up several factors alongside their own writers' and judges experience of these areas.

Commenting on The Sunday Times Best Places to Live, Home Editor Helen Davies said: “The list weighs up everything from considering the likely impact of the local plan, to whether the post office is still open, the range of housing, and the quality of the coffee.

"Numbers on a spreadsheet can only tell us so much, so we carefully balance statistics with our writers’ decades of knowledge and expertise to create the definitive list of the best places to live in the UK."

Still hungry for success Pateley Bridge will be aiming to make the most of upcoming opportunities like the Tour de Yorkshire and Pateley in Boom to continue shining a light on the hidden gem of the Dales.

Mr Tordoff said: "I, like many other people here don't even go away on holiday, and why would we have everything on our door step."