The gorgeous little UK town where Ed Sheeran enjoys the perfect life on his £3.7m estate

It was the place where a childhood Ed Sheeran famously watched the sun set over a castle on the hill. Yet even though he has temporarily left his hometown behind, locals still very much hold him dear to their hearts.

Drive down country lanes and you will find the picture-perfect town of Framlingham nestled deep in the heart of Suffolk, which locals say "encapsulates how life should be".

The town, where Sheeran grew up and went to school, is popular for being almost completely made up of high-class independent shops, with hardly a chain store in sight.

But it is also steeped in rich history, with the magnificent 12th-century Framlingham Castle - which Sheeran's hit single Castle on the Hill is all about - as its centrepiece.

The mega track, released in 2017, has put a town that locals describe as a "jewel" in the crown of Suffolk firmly on the map globally.

Kathryn Baldry, 52, a shop worker in the town centre, says: "Ed Sheeran has done a lot for the town. His song has done the castle lots of favours, and that's a draw to the town.

"People work out where he's singing about and want to come and visit."

Not only has Framlingham attracted visitors eager to see the place where the song reveals he broke his leg at six years old and smoked hand-rolled cigarettes at 15, but also plenty of Sheeran's celebrity mates.

The pop star has stayed close to his roots and built a sprawling £3.7million estate dubbed "Sheeranville", where he lives with his Suffolk childhood sweetheart Cherry Seaborn.

Over the years, he has welcomed many famous guests - perhaps most notably Taylor Swift, who was seen visiting a pub in Framlingham with him in 2013.

The Photograph singer has currently left Suffolk behind while he tours the US, with the 34-year-old explaining that constant travelling makes it impossible to see his family.

Sheeran says the move is only temporary, but it is not clear when he will return.

Speak to people in Framlingham, and it is clear that when he does, he will be welcomed with open arms.

Ms Baldry says Sheeran has "definitely helped the profile of the town", for example with his astonishing donations of clothes and even guitars to a charity shop in the town centre.

The Shape of You star gave items from his wardrobe to stunned staff at the East Anglia's Children's Hospice (EACH) branch, which helped them raise a small fortune.

Lyn Masterson, 58, who works at Darcy B, just yards away from the EACH shop, adds: "Ed Sheeran is such a good person. He is such a kind person. If you see him, he says hi. His mum comes in and shops in here."

The star's friendly nature is very much in keeping with the spirit of the town.

Ms Baldry describes a "strong sense of community" and says the recent VE Day celebrations showed the "feel-good factor" in the town.

She adds: "It's a jewel in Suffolk because we've got the castle and because we've got this beautiful French-like town square. It's very picturesque.

"If someone else is selling something, other shops won't sell that thing. It works better if you don't all sell the same things. There's a consensus approach."

Jayne Leeland, 60, who is originally from Essex but moved to Framlingham about 17 years ago, says: "We moved here a very long time ago because we knew it was a very nice town. The pace of life is slower, but that is fine for me."

But Ms Masterson perhaps sums up best how fortunate people feel to live and work in Framlingham.

"It's so inclusive," she says. "It's got everything anyone would ever need.

"It's got cafes. It's got a pharmacy with a pharmacist who actually helps you.

"Everyone cares about each other. If you came to me and said you needed your bus fare home, you'd get it.

"We try to make visitors welcome. We're very lucky to be in a place like this. It is just a fabulous place. When I come to work, I think that I'm so lucky.

"It just encapsulates how life should be."

With such a picturesque town centre, a caring community and a celebrity son, the title of another Sheeran song could be used to describe Framlingham: Perfect.