I visited the tranquil Northumberland market town named among the best places in the UK to live

Rowing boats bob gently, a statue of a Suffragette sits in the park, and the high street hums gently as shoppers visit a plethora of independents; all in the shadow of a castle and under a brilliant blue and cloudless early April sky.

Residents of Morpeth will be unsurprised that their town once again was earmarked as one of the country's most desirable places to live by the Times last month. It's the second time in four years Northumberland's county town has been recognised by the newspaper's guide, being given the same accolade alongside Tynemouth in 2022.

The Times praised Morpeth for its shops, facilities and friendliness, describing it as feeling "tranquil rather than sleepy". When ChronicleLive visited earlier this week, the community spirit, people's willingness to help others through volunteering, and a commitment to inclusivity was also highlighted - whilst it's not hard to find signs of the town's rich history with the likes of Morpeth Castle, the Court House, Emily Wilding Davison's grave, and the Bagpipe Museum all within 15 minutes of each other.

Dai Richards has called the town home for 40 years since he moved from Abergavenny. He is a member of the Greater Morpeth Development Trust and set up a litter picking group which has more than 70 members.

He said: "People in the North East are very similar to Wales, they're very friendly and open and want to make a change, and the Welsh are the same. Everybody's friendly, it's a lovely place to live.

"I'd recommend it if you were going to move anywhere. There are lots of sports facilities and access to many different sports.

"The amount of energy people put into things, from the litter picking group to the rugby club, there's so much effort from around the town which makes it quite vibrant really."

Dai has also worked with students from King Edward VI School and Northumberland County Council on the installation of information boards at historic sites around the town, with Morpeth one of the first places in the UK to use Navilens accessible QE codes, so that visually impaired people can hear the information others can read.

Sue Taylor is the chair Vision Northumberland, which supports visually impaired people across the county. She said that there is a "mindset" of volunteering and helping others in the town, which is a massive help to the charity.

She said: "We rely on volunteer drivers who bring people to our groups, such as a chatterbox café and reading group. The Morpeth Lions helped us upgrade out garden, people here really want to help the community."

Janet Patterson is blind and has lived in a little cottage by the River Wansbeck for 11 years after moving from nearby Bedlington. She said: "I love everything about Morpeth.

"I find when I go out, wherever I go on the high street I can identify with the signs or smell which shop I'm at and the staff are always helpful. There are all sorts of things going on here for people to get involved in, and it means I can be very, very independent."

Patricia Rescigno added that Morpeth was very accessible. She said: "I live within walking distance of doctors, dentists and opticians, that makes life very easy.

Some have concerns about Morpeth's development though, citing a loss of dog walking spots in recent years; and an increase in people moving to the towns putting pressure on the town's infrastructure.

Alison Murray used to live in Morpeth but moved to Amble last year. She said: "It's become popular with affluent people and I find that the people in the shops are very helpful.

"However, we've lost a lot of dog walking areas because of the houses being built there. And because we lived in the centre of Morpeth, my son couldn't ride a bike because it was on the main roads.

"We moved to a housing estate where he learned to ride his bike and there are more areas to walk the dog and we're really close to Druridge Bay. But I do still love Morpeth and I come to see my mum here every weekend."

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Alan Dixon said: "I wouldn't want to live anywhere else and I travel all over the world on cruises! It's the right size, it's still got small independent shops, got access into heritage woodland and walks, got good transport links.

"However, there's a lot of pressure on the infrastructure here; like the doctors, dentists and schools. A lot of people move because of the reputation of Chantry (Middle School) and King Edward VI (high school), but then find they can't get in so have to send their kids to Ashington, Blyth or Bedlington instead."

Morpeth's appeal doesn't just extend to those who live there or want to move to the town. It's also popular with tourists, and some locals say it has started to become a year-round destination.

Events take place throughout the year, such as the Morpeth Gathering, a festival which returns later this month to celebrate Northumbrian music, dance, dialect and culture; and the recently established Morpeth Book Festival. The Book Festival had its "most successful year yet", with more than 700 people attending the two day event, featuring the likes of Northumberland crime author Mari Hannah.

However, for some people it's enough to just soak up the surroundings. Steve and Babs Roberts from Merseyside have visited Morpeth for the last 30 years as part of their annual holiday.

Steve said: "We love the area, we love the people, they've very friendly and very helpful. Not just in Morpeth, but the rest of Northumberland too."