South Westers - Somerset, Bristol or Exeter

[SomExBrizzolll]

We are South Westers moving back to the South West from South East with teens.
Our priorities are cycle networks, schools and rail / road connections to local buzzy cities.

We need to be near the main line to Paddington.

I get weird feel vibes in Bristol though - does anyone else feel this way? Possibly the silliest sentence I've ever typed.

Ive disliked Yeovil since 1997 and I've double checked and I still dislike it but will consider anywhere else.

We're more mountainy, moores and forest people rather than beachy people.

Any ideas would be most welcome

Ive disliked Yeovil since 1997 and I've double checked and I still dislike it but will consider anywhere else.

Very specific! Do tell us what happened in 1997? Love that you double-checked!

Us too. Love in Nailsea but children go to school in Backwell. It’s an outstanding school. Love Nailsea, Backwell, Clevedon, Cheddar, Wells etc and yet in 15 I’m in the centre of Clifton!

• live in Nailsea.

I live in Wellington - lovely small town close to Taunton, along M5 & easy drive to Exeter etc. Train station hopefully reopening soon too.
It's not a cultural desert down here - despite what others have said. Yesterday we spent the day in Exeter at a Games Convention, followed by a trip to the RAMM & the Luke Jerram Gaia art installation at Exeter Cathedral.
Of course, there isn't everything you'd find in a city within walking distance in a semi-rural town, but you can access culture easily enough if you're happy to travel. However if you want culture on your doorstep you would need to go for a city like Exeter.
Taunton has great transport links; cinema, theatre, museum etc. It's easy to get to the theatres & other cultural events in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth & Cardiff. The North Devon link road provides good access to Exmoor & North Devon. The M5 gets you down Dartmoor, the South Devon coast & it's only a couple of hours to Cornwall.
We love living here - quiet & surrounded by fields, forests & hills, but only a short drive to get to culture, beaches, attractions etc.

Would Tiverton area not suit you? You have Tiverton Parkway station which runs a direct link into Paddington as well as other national stations.
Exeter and Taunton only 20/25 mins away and the North Devon coast less than an hour.

Also Tiverton is at Junction 27 of the M5 so good road links too.