The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2025 guide has been released today (March 21), revealing the best places to live in the South West.
The comprehensive guide included a total of 72 locations across the UK. Each location has been visited by the expert judges who 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.
Saffron Walden in Essex was named the overall best place to live in the UK due to “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.”
In the South West, The Chew Valley in Somerset was crowned the regional winner.
Helen Davis, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor said: “What makes our guide unique is that we actually visit all the places we choose and talk to locals to find out what life is really like there.
“That means we can see what people really love about the places they live. That could be anything from exceptional schools and fast trains to beautiful houses and countryside.
“The health of the high street is important, but more than anything else, what we are looking for are towns, villages and cities with strong communities who work hard to make the best of where they live, and play hard too.
“We also consider affordability. High house prices are no barrier to inclusion - as long as they provide value for money. Different people will be looking for different qualities when they are choosing a place to live. One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home.”
Scroll through to learn about the 8 best places to live in the South West, according to The Sunday Times, and why.
1. Chew Valley
Chew Valley was the regional guide. 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.” | Simon Learns via Google Maps
2. Ashburton, Devon
The guide reads: "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." | Colin Sturges via Google Maps
3. Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
The guide reads: "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. " | Getty Images
4. Hotwells and Cliftonwood, Bristol
The guide reads: "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. " | CJ Hole