A Guide to Living in South West England

South West England is the largest of the country’s nine official regions. It stretches from the Isles of Scilly at the south-westerly tip of the UK up through Cornwall and Devon to Gloucestershire and Wilshire at its easterly border. The largest cities in the region include Bristol, Bournemouth and Exeter. The National Parks of Exmoor and Dartmoor sit within South West England, with other key visitor attractions being Cornwall, with its beautiful beaches and fishing villages, Stonehenge, and the historic city of Bath.

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Best places to live in South West England

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A harbour with colourful boats in Cornwall, South West England

Where is South West England?

South West England constitutes the region from the south-westerly tip of England (the Scilly Isles and Cornwall) up to Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Bournemouth in the east. It has the longest coastline of any English region (700+ miles), which overlooks the Bristol Channel, English Channel and Celtic Sea.

Population of South West England

The population of South West England was estimated at 5.6 million in 2019. Despite being the largest of England’s nine regions at 9,200 square miles, its population is one of the smallest.

South West England regions

South West England is made up of seven counties: Bristol, Cornwall (and the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. We take a look at these below.

Bristol

Bristol is the largest city in South West England and is also one of the seven counties that make up the region. Bristol University and the University of the South West of England bring many students to the city, while media, electronics and aerospace industries are the main economic drivers in the city and surrounding areas.

Cornwall (incl. Isles of Scilly)

With its rich history of mining and fishing, Cornwall attracts thousands of visitors each year. It’s a favourite destination for many Brits holidaying in the UK, thanks to its mild climate and outstanding beaches and countryside. The only city in Cornwall is Truro and the region boasts its own language, which has seen a major revival since interest grew during the early 20th century.

Devon

Neighbour to Cornwall and great rival when it comes to cream teas (scones with jam and clotted cream), Devon is also a tourism hotspot. It boasts a similar landscape of moorlands, rugged coastlines and pretty fishing villages, with Exeter as its principal city. The collection of resort towns along its south coast have become known as the ‘English Riviera’.

Dorset

The ceremonial county of Dorset includes Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and Dorset. Dorchester is the county town but much of the region has a low population density, with more than half of its area designated an Area of outstanding Natural Beauty.

Gloucestershire

Named after its historic principal town Gloucester, Gloucestershire also includes the popular towns of Cheltenham, Cirencester and Stroud. It boasts large areas of outstanding natural beauty, including a large area of The Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean and the Severn Vale.

Somerset

A largely rural county, Somerset includes a wealth of beautiful landscapes, including those of the Mendip Hills, Quantocks and the Exmoor National Park. Somerset’s two cities are Wells and Bath – both of which boast historic cathedrals and the latter of which was granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Wiltshire

Wiltshire is a landlocked county bordered by Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Somerset and Dorset. Trowbridge is the county town but the region is probably best-known for the ancient stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury, which form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

South West England Cities

Bristol is the largest city in South West England, with a population of around 430,000 people. Other principal cities include Exeter, Bath, Gloucester, Bournemouth, Wells and Plymouth.

Featured developments in South West England

Reviews in South West England

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Amazing Location & Helpful Staff

Verified Resident

Review Date Oct 2023

Box Makers is near Cabot circus and also the train station which makes it a very central and prime location to be in. There are so many transportation links near by and lots of amazing shops. It is also in a more quiet part of town so there’s never really sounds of cars or traffic.

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Box Makers is very elegant and the designs all around are very cohesive. The building management staff and FOH are very helpful. Especially, Tomas! Tomas has always helped me whenever I had any inquiries or issues. Additionally, his positive and kind attitude made me feel very welcome when I first moved in and even years later! Whenever I need any help Tomas would not hesitate to go above and beyond, which is why I enjoy living in the building knowing that the FOH are always there to help.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had known more about the bin chutes and bin room because it was something new for me that I had never used before.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Whenever I needed maintenance to be done it would always happen in under a week. Additionally, if I ever had any questions or concerns I could just walk up to FOH and someone would be there to help.

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Great development, ok-ish location

Verified Resident

Review Date Sep 2023

The area is not the greatest in Bristol but way better than expected (after reasearching the area extensively I was expecting the worse. Glad that sometimes people overreact). I have lived in my new apartment for 4 months already and its a nice, quite place to live.

Please review your development:

The development is mixture of homes (the majority of the area) and small apartment blocks, around 12 flats per building. The area has lots of green spaces and access routes.
As an energy engineer I was over the moon to see ground-source heat pumps used throughout the development.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Did my research before buying, knew pretty much all important things.

What is the best feature of your home:

The hot water & heating system.
Great daylight system design as per the latest standards – full height windows.

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Luxury service and experience

Verified Resident

Review Date Sep 2023

The area is fantastic close to all essential shops plus 5 min walk to town, highly recommended and definitely not considering relocating

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Thomas who was the point of contact when I enquired for my flat was amazing. He was able to answer every single question I had he managed to assist me from enquiry all the way to receiving my keys. Luxury service and experience so far. I never had such a service and I changed many properties in the past

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

What was advertised is what I received nothing bad

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Very professional and effective, I just need to ask the reception to send over someone for maintenance if I need to

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Don’t Look Anywhere Else, Great Place to Live in Bristol!

Review Date Sep 2023

Pros: The location is strategically located in the middle of the city. short walk to the convenience store and 10 minutes to the train station, with lots of cafes and restaurants nearby. Parking availability is good, with a choice of private parking space or public parking on the street. Even more, there is a huge Gardiner Haskin parking space that can be used. The community is also great, many social activities are arranged by the property management. People are friendly.

Cons: As the location is central, there are frequent noises coming from construction activities on the street / nearby buildings.

Please review your development:

Design and facilities are a combination of modern and stylish. Very nice and big working/family lounge on the ground floor. It also has a rooftop area on both the Rosewood and Dovetail buildings. Personally, I have lived in the 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom. I can say both are clean, modern, and spacious – beyond my expectations!

The panoramic view (if you get the higher floor flats) is extraordinary, especially in the summer! If you are not, you can also still enjoy through public/private rooftop areas.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Nothing, everything is already explained well. Guidelines on the appliances, where to pay bills, etc is provided in the beginning.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Building management is responsive and quick to help if any problem happens. I want to personally appreciate and give thank you to Tomas (Tomas Semotam) who always goes above and beyond expectations, helping me and my family from the initial communication when we were in Indonesia to moving and settling in Box Makers Yard, Bristol. He is also really helpful whenever we need any help while living here.

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