So many lovely Dorset and Somerset villages, but which one?

I know someone your age who has relocated to Castle Cary, from France and absolutely loves it.

Another friend is in Honiton Devon. He moved from near Lyme Regis. Both places get his vote. He's single, late 50s.

Doli55

If you're looking for a village rather than a town, then Sidbury in Devon, with its local pub, long established butcher/grocers and ancient parish church, is completely unspoilt and surrounded by beautiful countryside. Fabulous country and riverside walks! Easy access to Honiton mainline (Waterloo) and Exeter (Paddington) mainline stations.

My sister lives in Sidbury, Doli55. It is indeed a lovely village, and the butcher/grocers and the Red Lion pub are excellent. I visit her often and we visit Sidmouth, which has good independent shops, as well as Seasalt, Joules, Fat Face etc. and also nice coffee shops, restaurants and pubs, in addition to the seaside, of course. Would be interested to here where you moved to Rosieday.

Hello RosieDay

I am in similar position and was wondering if you found somewhere in Dorset?

Hello Rosieday,

I’m in similar position as you , did you find somewhere in Dorset?

DrWatson

Wow, masses of good ideas! Not so many for Somerset though, and there are lots of great locations, Wells is one, though it has no trains (if that might be important). I'd suggest somewhere just outside Taunton, perhaps?

In Dorset, goodness, so many great places, you'd need to decide if the tourist crowds for chunks of the year will be a nuisance, and if not, which end of the coastline (assuming seaside is good), you'd prefer? Over by Poole & Bournemouth, or near Dorchester & Weymouth, along by Bridport & West Bay, or even further west by Lyme Regis or Charmouth? Swanage or Wareham perhaps? Or inland, Sturminster, or Sherborne, that had a vote or two, and it's very nice. If you like shows, lots of good acts appear at the Bournemouth International Centre.

I'd actually suggest somewhere near Exeter (yes, Devon I know!), a terrific city, but lots of smaller places within easy reach, Exmouth, Topsham, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot and more. Jolly good luck!

I’d actually vote against Charmouth, steep hill, limited parking and residents not welcoming to all. Our neighbour regrets moving there, though it looks OK on paper.

Lilyflower

Sorry, CC, you beat me to it. I didn't see your post before I wrote my own.

No problem, great minds…! It’s a proper town, most things you would need are there. Personally I would never move to a village, especially as I get older. They often don’t have all the facilities you need and residents can be quite tricky with newcomers.

DrWatson 🫢.. you've let the secret out on the best place to be. Your last paragraph! ☀️ ⛱️

Wow! Busses every seven minutes in a village (Ashley Cross)!
...I didn't even have that as a girl.
Must surely be on a main road? And even then...

Wow, masses of good ideas! Not so many for Somerset though, and there are lots of great locations, Wells is one, though it has no trains (if that might be important). I'd suggest somewhere just outside Taunton, perhaps?

In Dorset, goodness, so many great places, you'd need to decide if the tourist crowds for chunks of the year will be a nuisance, and if not, which end of the coastline (assuming seaside is good), you'd prefer? Over by Poole & Bournemouth, or near Dorchester & Weymouth, along by Bridport & West Bay, or even further west by Lyme Regis or Charmouth? Swanage or Wareham perhaps? Or inland, Sturminster, or Sherborne, that had a vote or two, and it's very nice. If you like shows, lots of good acts appear at the Bournemouth International Centre.

I'd actually suggest somewhere near Exeter (yes, Devon I know!), a terrific city, but lots of smaller places within easy reach, Exmouth, Topsham, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot and more. Jolly good luck!

Ashley Cross. A small village between Poole and Bournemouth. Railway station - 2 hours to London. Busus run every 7 minutes or so between Bournemouth and Poole. Good pubs and restaurants. Between Gervais Close/Church Road and toward the coast is the best area.

If you're looking for a village rather than a town, then Sidbury in Devon, with its local pub, long established butcher/grocers and ancient parish church, is completely unspoilt and surrounded by beautiful countryside. Fabulous country and riverside walks! Easy access to Honiton mainline (Waterloo) and Exeter (Paddington) mainline stations.

Another vote for Wells. I’ve lived here for nearly 40 years & it has everything anyone could wish for. A lot of people who were at school here often return to live & have their own families. I believe it is also the no.1 tourist attraction.

Applegran

The small city of Wells is lovely.

Love Wells

The small city of Wells is lovely.

Broadstone in Dorset is hard to beat. Close to Poole, on an excellent bus route, buses every few minutes into Wimborne, Poole or Bournemouth and surrounding suburbs. Broadstone has many independent shops, a leisure centre, two GP surgeries, library, M&S food hall, two butchers, two bakers (but not a candlestick maker 🤣) numerous little restaurants, two pubs, coffee shops and countryside galore. I know because I live in Broadstone and it’s great.

Just thinking, if you want to still make the journey from Portsmouth over to France, you might want to be further East than some of our suggestions. The A35 is a nightmare to get to the ferry port.

Chew Magna is very nice, lots happening, shops, doctors - a few years ago voted the best village to live in in England! South of Bristol. Will not be cheap........

Tisbury, actually in Wiltshire but almost in Dorset. Ridiculously beautiful countryside, thriving arts, also Messums, shops including farmshop, pub obviously, and best of all a mainline station to Salisbury and London.
I don't live there but my best friend does .

Bridport is full of energy and the lovely West Bay is just along the road.

Stillness, see posts up-thread about Poundbury 😊

I love all the Dorset villages but just to throw in a curved ball, if you want something with a more suburban feel and all amenities on the doorstep…and a very different feel to rural France, how about Poundbury….

Sorry, CC, you beat me to it. I didn't see your post before I wrote my own.

Bridport has a lot going for it whether you drive or not. There's a Georgian and older High Street full of independent and chain shops and a Waitrose. There's the independent 'Electric Cinema' which shows films and other performances. The countryside is gorgeous around the town and half a mile away is West Bay and, adjacent, Hive Beach, with an amazing fish restaurant/cafe and the beautiful cliffs where 'Broadchurch' was filmed.

I addition to a shop I’d look for somewhere not hilly, with a decent bus service and a local GP surgery.

Not a village but a small town , I’d recommend Bridport where you can live at walking distance from the good supermarkets. Still have useful independent shops like butchers too, as well as a reliable plumbing company and good local buses.