IT is well known for its picturesque landscapes, picture postcard towns and chocolate box villages which attract thousands of tourists each year.

Now, four places in the Cotswolds have been singled out by a national newspaper in a list of must-live places.

In a week of supplements in The Times, property and money editor Anne Ashworth compiled a list of the 30 best places to live in the country.

She named Chipping Norton as fifth best town to live, describing it as “peaceful and picturesque” with facilities including London-standard pubs and restaurants.

“This town is sometimes described as Britain’s answer to Beverly Hills because of its high-profile residents,”she said.

Jim Hopcroft, landlord of the Chequers, in Goddard Lane, said he was not surprised.

“I’ve been in Chippy for about 16 years now and I think it’s a great place to live,” he said. “It’s still a working town.

“We’ve got good amenities, pubs and restaurants. It’s great publicity for the town to be mentioned in things like that.”

Chippy’s neighbour Kingham, home to former Blur bassist-turned-cheesemaker Alex James, was also mentioned as 20th best village to live.

It said: “Despite the influx of the so-called Chipping Norton Set to this pocket of the Cotswolds, Kingham remains remarkably unspoiled.”

The “vibrant and stunningly pretty” Broadway was named as one of the best places to retire in the UK.

Dottie Friedli, manager of the tourist information centre, agreed but said it was a great place to live as well.

“The reason why it’s wonderful for people who are getting on a bit is all the facilities we’ve got in the village,” she said. “It has everything going for it.”

Meanwhile, Ilmington, near Shipston, was named as third best place to have a second home in Britain, beaten only by Askrigg, in North Yorkshire, and Marazion, in Cornwall.

Parish councillor Martin Taylor said: “We’ve got beautiful houses and gardens, two pubs and a lovely church. It’s a very happy community.”