New Homes in the South West

Natural beauty and cultural cities, right on your doorstep

From independent shopping boutiques in Exeter to the beaches of Devon, there’s plenty to see and do in this large and diverse region of England. Stretching all the way from Gloucestershire and down to Cornwall, the South West is a huge part of the country, and home to top-rated universities, good transport links and lots of employment opportunities across a wide range of industries.

Ancient artefacts have been found all over the South West, including at Cheddar Gorge and in Westbury-sub-Mendip, making the region especially interesting for historians. Some of the most iconic sites in the South West include Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths, Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge, while Wookey Hole Caves, Tintagel Castle and Pendennis Castle are all popular visitor attractions.

While some parts of the South West, including Gloucestershire, were occupied by the Romans, other areas such as Devon and Cornwall escaped invasion, which in part led to the rise of the Cornish language which is still spoken by a small number of people. The South West also experienced some fighting and battles during the English Civil War in the 17th century.

Today the region is known for its bustling towns, seaside resorts and beautiful countryside, especially after Exmoor became one of the UK’s first national parks in 1954. Over the years, the South West has been home to a number of famous people including the explorer Francis Drake, the writer Thomas Hardy and the actor Michael Redgrave.

Must-know info for families

If you’re moving to the South West with a young and growing family, it’s good to know which schools are highly-rated. Top primary schools in the region include Heywood Prep in Corsham, Park School in Bournemouth, Sandford Primary School in Winscombe, St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School in Yelverton and Watermore Primary School in Frampton Cotterell.

The best state schools in the South West include Pate’s Grammar School in Cheltenham, Colyton Grammar School Academy in Colyton, South Wilts Grammar School for Girls in Salisbury, Sir Thomas Rich’s School in Gloucester and Bishop’s Wordsworths in Salisbury. Other top schools include Stroud High School, Torquay Boys’ Grammar School, Bournemouth School for Girls and Parkstone Grammar School in Poole. For independent education, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Exeter School, The Maynard School in Exeter, King Edward’s School in Bath and Badminton School in Bristol are very highly regarded.

When it comes to higher education, the South West has a large number of prestigious universities to choose from, including the University of Bath, the University of Exeter, the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England. Plymouth University, Bath Spa University, Falmouth University and Bournemouth University are also located in the region.

Places to see and things to do

For family entertainment, there’s lots to see and do in the South West, with Bristol Zoo, the Eden Project and Longleat Safari Park being especially popular with children. Other places to explore as a family include the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, and Glastonbury Tor in Somerset.

What about business?

The South West is a thriving place for business, with industries spanning energy, engineering, tourism and farming. Some of the biggest companies based in the region include NPower, Honda UK and Intel Corporation (UK) in Swindon, Imperial Tobacco Group and Airbus Operations in Bristol, New Look Retail Group in Weymouth and Wessex Water in Bath, while Dyson, Screwfix Direct and GE Aviation Systems are also in the area.

For travel

For commuters, there are good train links between the towns and cities in the South West, with the journey from Gloucester to Bristol taking around 50 minutes, and the train from Bristol to Exeter taking just under 1 hour. For car travel, the M5 passes right through the South West, while the M4 provides a direct route to London.

If you’re travelling further afield, whether for work or pleasure, the train journey from Bristol to London takes just 1 hour 45 minutes, while the train from Plymouth to London takes around 3 hours. Bristol Airport has flights to UK airports as well as destinations in Europe and the rest of the world. There are also airports in Southampton, Exeter and Newquay.