Croydon, Greater London

For much of its history Croydon, ten miles south of Central London, was in the estates of the Archbishops of Canterbury, the principal leaders of the church of England. Croydon Palace and the Whitgift Alms-house are historic reminders from their time here. Recently the town has made its mark on UK popular culture thanks to Croydon College and the Brit School, where the likes of Adele and Jessie J learned their craft. There’s pulsating nightlife, a fresh dining scene and a shopping centre that was the largest in Greater London up to 2008. You can get to London Bridge in less than 15 minutes from South Croydon Station, and in 2000 the town introduced Tram link, the first tram system in the capital since 1952.