Dartmoor and Exmoor impress judges in 2026 best places to live list
The annual list is published by the Sunday Times
Last updated 20th Mar 2026
Dartmoor is the fourth best place to live in the South West, followed by Exmouth in fifth, according to the latest list by The Sunday Times.
Across our region, Malmesbury in Wiltshire was top, followed by Bridport in Dorset.
Chief judge Tim Palme said: "Dartmoor is the country’s most magical outdoor playground, a bewitching patchwork of craggy tors, steep valleys, pretty villages and ancient thatched cottages. It also has some of our most appealing towns. Among the best are Chagford, which is pretty, arty and community-minded. It has great pubs, allotments, a primary school, an idyllic open-air swimming pool and lots of good shops, and a house-price premium to match."
He added: "Ashburton is younger, busier and better connected via the A38 to both Plymouth and Exeter, with an outstanding town centre where you can get everything from fresh fish, bread and local meat to vintage clothes, comics and musical instruments."
On Exmouth, he said the town is changing fast': "Quick trains to Exeter are attracting a younger crowd who like to wake up with the sea on their doorsteps. Small enough to feel like home, big enough to have everything you need, it’s an ideal spot to put down roots, with useful housing stock and an improving range of shops and restaurants. The red-sand beach, all two miles of it, is quite the playground. Star of the seafront is the Sideshore community hub, where you’ll find a watersports centre and great coffee, cakes and ice cream."
Malmesbury in Wiltshire aas been named the best place to live for its 'ever-improving high street is the star of the show in a historic town that’s a safe place for families to put down roots'.
Judges added: "There’s plenty going on: sports clubs, a theatre group, the Athelstan Players, and hardworking community groups. The highlight of the calendar is the annual carnival, proudly “by the community, for the community”.
The full list of southwest locations is below, with more details about the best places to live list here
⦁ Malmesbury, Wiltshire
⦁ Bridport, Dorset
⦁ Bristol: Kingsdown
⦁ Dartmoor, Devon
⦁ Exmouth, Devon
⦁ Falmouth and Penryn, Cornwall
⦁ Stroud, Gloucestershire
⦁ Wimborne Minster, Dorset