Somerset/Wiltshire

[Sconesat4]

I would like to move to Somerset or Wiltshire I think. Looking for a small town or village with a friendly community, lots to do, good transport links and lovely countryside. I am thinking of Corsham, though I haven't been there. I know Bath to some extent, and I know Rode. ideally I would like to be by the sea, but Cornwall is too touristy and too dead in the Winter, and I've never found Devon ticked the box. Possibly Dorset but many areas can seem overly hide bound. Help me!

What's your budget? There's a huge variation in house prices in the various areas of Somerset.

I would say East Somerset is generally more expensive the West Wilts where I live. Countryside is fabulous but the coast takes a while to get to due to the roads. You could try north Somerset if you want the sea, Weston, Burnham etc. Unfortunately it's not my cup of tea.

Around £550,000. Must be detached.

South Somerset is beautiful, but if you want access to the M5 then the little villages around Taunton, - North Curry, Kingston St Mary, Stoke St Gregory are all lovely and you would be able to get a beautiful detached house for that budget.

Corsham lovely.

I wouldn't go to the coast - Weston etc.

Encouraging comments on Corsham! I love Bath so I think would suit quite well from a number of points of view. Have also considered Frome?

Bradford on Avon. Hands down.

Corsham is lovely but no train station which we found a bit isolating but that might not bother others.

I'm moving to Somerset in three weeks OP, so exciting!!

I'm renting for 6 months while I look for the right home.

I've looked all over the county and have settled on Somerton, it's lovely. I have to be close to Glastonbury as I'm working in the hospital there and Somerton is only three miles away.

I'm also considering Wookey which has my heart but isn't very practical for winter due to the single track roads.

@madcatladyforever
How exciting!!

I used to work in west Wiltshire; here's my tuppence worth.

Bradford Avon is beautiful and has a really active social and arts scene. Traffic can be a nightmare though as lots of HGVs clog up the centre.

Trowbridge has more listed buildings than BoA BUT sadly has quite a rough town centre. Crime rates are higher. Hilperton on the edge of Trowbridge is worth a look though.

Westbury is fairly nice, by the time you get to Warminster I imagine you're getting a bit too far off the beaten track.

Corsham is lovely and has a nice atmosphere. Box is also nice but does have a main road cutting it in two. Although neither have a train station I don't think?

Chippenham has excellent transport links and great schools.

When I was there, Calne seemed like it would be a great place to live but it had pretty bad drugs issues going on.

There are many other lovely largish villages around west Wiltshire too.

Frome is just over the border in Somerset and is a really nice town with a great lively local community. I would have loved to live there.

Hope that helps.

I grew up in Bath and would live there in a heartbeat if DH's job wasn't based in London. It's beautiful, quiet yet there's enough going on, people are lovely.

Bradford on Avon seems very popular generally, I have never been. I think I need to spend a week down there exploring. Very useful helpful tips, especially that there is no train station in Corsham but there is one in Bradford on Avon. Useful to know.

For me the only good thing about Westbury is Aldi. I find it very scruffy. Warminster is is nice (and has a Waitrose and an independent school, if that's important to you) as are many of the villages around it. Warminster, Westbury and Trowbridge all have stations, as does Frome. I have never seen the draw of Frome, though everyone else raves about it so it's probably just me. I think it's very overpriced.
As others have said Bradford on Avon is very pretty but the traffic is a nightmare.

The branch lines that coves that area are mostly quite slow and seem to stop at every lamp post so if you need commuter lines, you need to be close to Bath or Chippenham which are both mainline fast track to London. Comes at a price though.

Corsham is a few minutes from Chippenham and its railway station, OP. There has been a long-running campaign to re-open the Corsham railway station so you never know ..

I am moving to Corsham soon and have lived in Bath most of my life. Bath is beautiful and a great place to live (although full of students and old people as they seem to be the only ones able to afford) I doubt you would be able to get a detached house in Bath for your money, there aren't that many detached full stop, unless you don't mind being on the outskirts.
If it were possible for my work I would have chosen Frome over Corsham as it has slightly more going on. BOA is also beautiful and was one of our contenders but we feel a bit more 'posh'.
I personally would avoid Trowbridge, Melksham, Calne, Radstock but it is personal preference more than anything.
You have a lot of choice for sure, and I hope you find what is right for you!

I've lived near Corsham for years and I think it's a great little town. Quite a lot going on and Pound Arts is a nice addition. Good library / sports centre. There's no station, but it isn't far to Chippenham station and the supermarkets are mostly on Corsham side of Chippenham so pretty handy for shopping. The secondary schools in Chippenham are really good too.

Bradford on Avon is so nice, but very busy traffic wise. Also, it's a lot more expensive so you'd definitely compromise on what you could get house wise.

Frome is great. Loads going on, but I'd say it's quite a lot further out of the way and the train line from there is pretty slow getting anywhere.