West towns among best places to live
NINE places in the South West – from Ashburton on the edge of Dartmoor to Wiltshire’s Chalke Valley – have been named in The Sunday Times list of the best places to live in the country.
But the top accolade goes to Ilkley in West Yorkshire as the best place to live in the UK.
The list – which its compilers admit is largely subjective – nevertheless can have a significant impact on house prices. South West towns and cities, including Salisbury and Stroud, have been previous winners and seen interest from house buyers peak after the publication of the list.
Kingsbridge, in South Devon, a previous winner of the best place in the South West, has also seen a boom in property sales since it received the accolade.
This year’s list, out today online and published in full in The Sunday Times at the weekend, has been compiled by the newspaper’s property editor and editor of the magazine, Helen Davies, along with judge and property expert Tim Palmer.
They chose the Chalke Valley in South Wiltshire, close to the border with Dorset, as the best place to live in the South West.
The judges said: “The communityrun Chalke Valley Stores is an inspiring hub for a string of villages that reflect the best of rural life in the 21st century, with a stand-out pub, Saxon churches, thatched cottages and a history festival.”
Average Chalke Valley house prices are a costly £655,000.
Others on the list include Bridport, not far from the Devon-Dorset border, which was praised for its festivals, independent shops, beautiful landscapes and the rugged Jurassic Coast which is “just a walk away.”
“It is a dream of culture and countryside,” the judges said. House prices come in at an average £400,000 – a hike of 27% since 2020.
Budleigh Salterton, once a sleepy retirement village, but now a “hotspot for young families”, according to the judges, also wins praise. Home of writer Hilary Mantel and also scene of a major literary and classical music festival, Budleigh has a “truly lovely beach,” the judges conclude.
Ashburton also warrants a mention. Judges say of the Dartmoor town, close to the A38, that the landscape offers the best of the great outdoors, beaches are within easy reach and that “arty, friendly Ashburton is a thriving town.”
In Sherborne, Dorset, there is also a lot going on. “You’ll never be short of friends in this ancient, beautiful market town,” the judges say. “It has more than 200 community groups.” The average house price is £360,000, up 8% in two years.
Stroud, in Gloucestershire – a previous winner – and Wellow, Somerset, complete the South West list. The Sunday Times’ judges say they assess a wide range of factors, from schools, transport and broadband to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street.
Helen Davies said: “The Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place. For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling.”