They are the places where the oldest ever living Britons, past or present, were born and in some cases spent their whole lives.
The oldest ever Briton is the world’s oldest living person, Ethel Caterham, who on August 21 this year celebrated her 116th birthday.
She was born in the Hampshire village of Shipton Bellinger, was raised in Tidworth, Wiltshire, and today lives at a care home in Lightwater, Surrey.
Only two other Britons have reached the age of 115, according to the oldestinbritain.org website, while Ethel is one of only nine Britons to have lived to 114 or older.
Ethel, who was the second youngest of eight children, has some way to go to become the world’s oldest ever person.
That honour belongs to Jeanne Louise Calment, who died in 1997, aged 122 years and 164 days.
The life expectancy for women in the UK is 82.8 years, according to the Office for National Statistics, compared with 78.8 years for men.
The 17 oldest ever Britons are, or were, all women, with Harry Allingham, who died on July 18, 2009, aged 113 years and 42 days, being the oldest ever male Briton.
Below are the birthplaces of the nine oldest Britons to have ever lived, listed in reverse order.
The best places in the UK to be born, grow up and grow old were recently named.
Other than where you happened to be born, what do you think is the secret to a long, happy and healthy life?
9. Shipton Bellinger
Ethel May Caterham is the oldest ever Briton, according to oldestinbritain.org. She was born in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, on August 21, 1909. She today lives in Lightwater, Surrey, and turned 116 earlier this year. As of September 22, 2025, she was aged 116 years and 32 days. | Google Photo: Google