A beautiful place to live and work
Somerset is a county of incredible contrasts; complete with beaches, caves, moors, a beautiful stretch of coastline, the unique Somerset Levels, areas of outstanding natural beauty and a National Park, Exmoor. As well as historic villages and bustling market towns, all containing rich heritage and legend.
In 2016 National Geographic Traveler rated Somerset number 11 on ‘The Cool List’ of must see destinations, beating Rio de Janeiro and the Great Barrier Reef!!
Access to London and beyond
Somerset has easy access routes to the rest of the country.
London is less than 2 hours away by train.
Exeter is just over half an hour by car.
Bristol is just under 30 minutes away by train.
Plus, Bristol Airport and Exeter Airport are both easily accessed from the M5. And there’s an increasing number of destinations being added to their flight lists, including most of Europe, some North African countries and the USA. You can travel wherever you want.
http://www.visitsomerset.co.uk/visitor-information/somerset-travel-information
House prices
The average house price in Somerset is in the region of £238,000 (price from 2016).
This is lower than the national house price average of £281,000 and lower in price than nearby Bristol and Dorset.
The average monthly rent for a property is £600 compared to the £650 national average (price from 2016).
For more information on local house prices across Somerset, visit www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices-in-somerset
Schools
There are 264 state funded schools in the county, including academies, free and special schools.
More than 90 per cent of schools in Somerset are judged to be good or better, higher than the south west average of 89 per cent, and the national average of 84 per cent. (Figures from April 2016).
The county has four further education colleges and expansion plans to create a university centre. Other universities close by include Plymouth University, University of Exeter, UWE Bristol and Bournemouth University.
Attractions
Food and drink: Somerset offers some of the best local produce in the country, from farmers’ markets to Somerset specialities like Cheddar Cheese and farmhouse cider.
Festivals: The county hosts the world famous Glastonbury Festival, which attracts more than 170,000 visitors every year and world class acts like 2017’s headliners Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters and Radiohead.
Sport: The town of Taunton is home to Somerset County Cricket Club, which also hosts England cricket matches. Yeovil Town became the first Somerset football club to reach the Football League Division 3 in 2003 and then Division 2 in 2005. There are also two racecourses – one in Taunton and one in Wincanton. The Quantocks Hills, just outside Taunton, are very popular with walkers and mountain bikers.
Heritage: For those who prefer less active pursuits, Somerset has around 11500 listed buildings, 523 scheduled monuments, 192 conservation areas, 41 parks and gardens, 36 English Heritage sites and 19 National Trust sites. And there’s the historic West Somerset Railway, which offers regular steam train journeys from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead.
You can find all Somerset’s attractions on www.visitsomerset.co.uk