Somerset has been noticeably absent from The Sunday Times’ latest list of the best places to live in the South West — and it’s raising some eyebrows. While the list celebrates spots like Malmesbury (Wiltshire), Bridport (Dorset), Kingsdown (Bristol), Dartmoor and Exmouth (Devon), Falmouth and Penryn (Cornwall), Stroud (Gloucestershire), and Wimborne Minster (Dorset), Somerset didn’t make the cut this time.
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and editor of Best Places to Live, explains that the guide aims to spotlight places where village, town, and city centers still thrive and are brimming with natural beauty, culture, connectivity, and, crucially, a strong sense of community. The expert panel visited every location and spoke with locals to uncover what makes each spot special. Their selections spanned the length and breadth of the UK, from the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast, choosing towns, villages, suburbs, and cities where residents are proud to call home.
Some of the places named genuinely hold charm. Stroud’s appeal is well-known, and Penryn brings back fond memories — at least for me — of road trips filled with pasties and Pink Floyd tunes. Although Wimborne Minster may not be dazzling to everyone, personal experience varies, especially after a decade’s absence.
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But this prompts the question: are these places really more appealing than Somerset’s gems such as Bath, with its stunning honey-coloured Georgian architecture, or Glastonbury, England’s celebrated hippy haven? What about the scenic tranquility of Castle Cary or the quirky charm of Frome, home to a Cheese Lord — a title Bridport, for instance, doesn’t hold?
It’s clear Somerset draws many residents for a reason. Bath has one of the country’s busiest rental markets, and towns like Castle Cary are wrestling with growing developmental pressures. Frome’s town council even declared a housing crisis as demand surges.
Could Somerset’s absence from the list be because it’s simply too popular? That seems like a reasonable — if bittersweet — explanation.
And, in the spirit of fairness, let’s not forget Bridgwater. It might not have made the list either, but in my eyes, it remains the best place to live in the South West, if not the world. That’s undeniable.