Bridport named among South West's Best Places to Live
The town's included in the Sunday Times's list
We might already think West Dorset is a lovely place to call home, but it's now been confirmed in a prestigious list.
The Sunday Times Best Places to Live survey has been released this morning (Friday 8th April).
Bridport has been named among the top locations in the South West.
The lost looks at things like school, transport and broadband coverage, as well as green spaces, community spirit and local amenities to come up with the highest ranked areas.
WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT BRIDPORT?
The citation from the Sunday Times describes the town as having 'festivals, independent shops, beautiful landscapes and the rugged Jurassic Coast just a walk away'.
They've said Bridport is 'a dream combination of coast, culture and countryside'.
The study also looks at local average house prices, using stats from the Halifax, with Bridport properties setting you back £400,000 - that's a 27% rise compared to 2020.
Sherborne is also ranked as one of the best places in the South West.
The write-up about them says 'you’ll never be short of friends in this ancient, beautiful market town, with more than 200 community groups, an interesting and improving high street and its abbey is as beautiful a parish church as you’ll find'.
Average house prices in the town have grown 8% since 2020, to £369,000 now.
Helen Davies, The Times and Sunday Times Property Editor said:
“The Sunday Times 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. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people?
“Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed — and how welcome that change is.
“We hope there is something to suit everyone.”
You can find out more about the Sunday Times Best Places to Live list on their website.