South West's 'Best Place to Live' announced for 2025

Here's some news to be proud of for communities in the South West - as we now know where the 'Best Place to Live' is in our region for 2025.

It's part of a list compiled by the Sunday Times newspaper - with Somerset's Chew Valley given the top spot in their prestigious annual guide.

'Community is to the fore'

The Sunday Times judges said: “A combination of beautiful landscapes and forward-thinking rural enterprises make this hunk of prime English countryside the perfect place to put down deep rural roots.

"Community is to the fore in its picture-perfect villages and the proximity of Bristol brings creative energy and keeps the buzz and convenience of the city within easy reach.”

Seven other locations in the South West of England are featured in the comprehensive guide, which named Saffron Walden in Essex as the best place to live in the UK.

The Sunday Times judges chose the genteel market town for its knockout historic looks with excellent state schools, rich cultural offering and an exploding foodie scene as well as its convenient commuter links to both London and Cambridge.

The Best Places to Live in the South West

The full list of southwest locations is as follows:

• The Chew Valley, Somerset (regional winner)
• Ashburton, Devon
• Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
• Hotwells and Cliftonwood, Bristol
• Malmesbury, Wiltshire
• Penryn, Cornwall
• Sherborne, Dorset
• Southbourne, Dorset

'There really is so much to celebrate'

Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, says: “It is easy to feel overwhelmed by everything going on in the world, but there really is so much to celebrate as we look closer to home. From small gestures that lift the everyday - like verges blooming with daffodils and volunteer-run dementia cafés, to larger initiatives from repair cafés to new railway stations.”

The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds and mobile signal to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street.

The chosen locations come in all shapes and sizes, from the Scottish Island of Tiree and the remote Welsh village of Maenclochog to vibrant market towns, and suburbs of big, lively cities such as Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and London.

The guide is sponsored by the mortgage lender Halifax, which has provided an average house price for each location.

Amanda Bryden - Head of Halifax Mortgages - said: “We know it can be daunting buying your first home, looking to move to your next home or even getting a new mortgage for your current home.

"There is so much to think about even once you’ve found the right house in the right area. The best thing to do is speak to a mortgage adviser as early as you can in the process.

"They will be able to help you understand the mortgages available to you and how to get the best deal for your circumstances to help you focus on the exciting things that come with buying a home too."

Previous winners of the Best Places to Live in Britain title are: Stamford, Lincolnshire (2013); Skipton, North Yorkshire (2014); Newnham, Cambridge (2015); Winchester, Hampshire (2016); Bristol (2017), York (2018), Salisbury, Wiltshire (2019), Altrincham, Cheshire (2020) Stroud, Gloucestershire (2021), Ilkley, West Yorkshire (2022) Wadhurst, East Sussex (2023), and North Berwick, East Lothian (2024).

The South West's Best Locations for 2025

Winner: Chew Valley, Somerset

The Sunday Times judges said: “A combination of beautiful landscapes and forward-thinking rural enterprises make this hunk of prime English countryside the perfect place to put down deep rural roots. Community is to the fore in its picture-perfect villages, and the proximity of Bristol brings creative energy while keeping the buzz and convenience of the city within easy reach.”

Runner-up: Ashburton, Devon

Once known for being the HQ of the Monster Raving Loony Party, today’s Ashburton is a more sensible — and special — place. The setting on the southern fringe of Dartmoor is beautiful. The historic town centre is a colourful, atmospheric delight and its exceptional range of independent shops means you need never go elsewhere for provisions. Downsizers who flock here can spend their days yomping across the moor or wild swimming in the River Dart, and their evenings doing yoga or watching films in the cosy community cinema. For families, there’s a wide choice of schools, a skate park and open-air swimming pool along with the comfort that comes from living a healthy outdoor lifestyle in a town that’s surprisingly well connected.

Runner-up: Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire

The community spirit in this pretty town of golden stone properties with a splash of thatch and a dash of timber is both charitable and seriously fun. This is where you’ll find one of the jolliest spectacles the English countryside has to offer: the annual Cotswold Olimpicks, a raucous day of sports, games and entertainment that started in the early 1600s. There’s also a literary festival and a highbrow music festival in the stately setting of St James’ Church. Add to that a good high street, two excellent primary schools, and a popular comprehensive, also home to a leisure centre, and it makes Chipping Campden the most liveable of the Cotswold towns.

Runner-up: Hotwells and Cliftonwood, Bristol

Despite Bristol’s issues - patchy public transport, terrible traffic and damaging council cuts - few cities offer such an intoxicating combination of friendly people, walkability and an abundance of culture and innovation. It makes sense to live between its two special centres of gravity: the regenerated floating Harbourside and Georgian Clifton. The steep warren of Victorian streets in Hotwells and Cliftonwood offers a nice mix of houses, not too much passing traffic and a superlative community spirit, where volunteering is a big part of life.

Runner-up: Malmesbury, Wiltshire

From a monk’s early attempts at flight 1,000 years ago to James Dyson’s creative and engineering campus, Malmesbury has long been a place of innovation. Along with Athelstan, the local notable who became England’s first king, the flying monk remains a familiar figure here, lending his name to many of the cafés, breweries, clubs and art events that make this ancient burgh such a sparky place to call home. There’s a good choice of properties, good connections, and a creative, energetic community, making Malmesbury a reliable place to settle down and raise a family rather than just somewhere to gaze at the magnificent abbey and the hilltop views of timeless countryside.

Runner-up: Penryn, Cornwall

Penryn is a little rougher round the edges than neighbouring Falmouth, but what it lacks in arty-crafty knick-knack stores and beachside saunas, it more than makes up for in energy, creativity and community. Every old workshop, boathouse or ope — as the back alleys are known here — seems to be home to a local craftsperson or entrepreneur up to something forward-looking and fascinating, whether it’s a pottery studio, an art gallery, a yoga studio, or the Cornish Poetry Library. There is the potential for endless adventures in the surrounding waters and countryside, and all kinds of community groups are doing good works or organising sports and activities.

Runner-up: Sherborne, Dorset

True beauty really is more than skin deep in this historic, honey-coloured town surrounded by rolling countryside. It’s a drop-dead gorgeous address with a lively high street, welcoming pubs, cosy cafés, impeccable schools (both private and state) and, above all, a deep community spirit. There are more than 200 groups covering every conceivable interest. The inspiring Sherborne Community Kitchen, a lunch club, has gone from strength to strength. So too has the number of start-ups — evidence that an influx of families and entrepreneurs during the pandemic has freshened up Sherborne’s reputation as a retirement destination.

Runner-up: Southbourne, Dorset

Miles of golden sand and water that’s clean and inviting enough to enjoy a wild swim every day of the year, plus community and cocktails, make this suburb of Bournemouth, yes Bournemouth. The judges said: “You get to enjoy blue-flagged beach life with a relaxed atmosphere and still catch a direct train to London in under two hours.”

You can check out the full Best Places To Live list on the Sunday Times website.

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