DIGITAL lifestyle website Muddy Stilettos has launched its 2026 ‘best places to live’ guide – including for Somerset.
The platform has unveiled a ‘top 260’ of hand-picked cities, towns and villages across the UK, drawing upon “unparalleled local knowledge and insight across the UK, guiding potential buyers to the local hot spots and up-and-coming areas”, according to a spokesperson.
It comes as the site said 2026 is forecast to be a good year for people to move house, if they are considering relocating.
Hero Brown, founder and editor-in-chief of Muddy Stilettos, said: “When people decide to move, they’re searching for more than just a house – they want a home, a lifestyle that works for them and their family, and if they’re strategic, a long-term investment too.
“Our 2026 Top 260 Best Places To Live guide will give them that extra reassurance they need to make their search easier in these difficult economic times.
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“We’ve built our reputation on our first-hand knowledge of the most exciting, vibrant places to go and things to do outside London.
“Now, with Scotland and Wales added to the guide and new information added on important considerations such as schools, culture and health and wellbeing, the 2026 list is a natural step for us to continue to expand our authority in this area.
“Combined with up to the minute listings of desirable properties, we think it’s a unique reference point in a turbulent yet hopefully resilient property market.”
The eight best places to live in Somerset and Bristol for 2026, according to Muddy Stilettos – and what editors had to say about them – are:
Beckington
“Located three miles north of super cool Frome and 10 miles south of the Unesco World Heritage City of Bath, tiny, picturesque Beckington has two local pubs, a lovely café/deli, a choice of excellent state and independent primary schools, a castle (that’s not really a castle but a striking terracotta-coloured historic house), and gorgeous countryside around about. Shall I order the removal van now?”
Bruton
“Low key but cool Bruton, aka the Notting Hill of the South West, has more than its fair share of cultural highlights, great food and bars, and famous people. There’s a strong community feel and the annual Packhorse Fair in May, marking the end of the town’s art fair, is a lot of fun.”
Bruton makes the list. Picture: Google
Chew Magna
“The largest village in the rather gorgeous Chew Valley with its beautiful lake, woodland and hills, Chew Magna lies about 10 miles south of Bristol and 15 miles from Bath, on the edge of the Mendips in north-east Somerset. It is a conservation area with old stone bridges over the river Chew, raised pavements and more than its fair share of listed buildings, but also a vibrant community with fab places to eat in and around, and plenty going on. The perfect spot for those who want to work in Bristol and live in the countryside.”
Clevedon
“An independently minded, lively little seaside town overlooking the Bristol Channel and beyond into Wales, Clevedon has elegant Victorian villas, indie shops and eateries, a seawater pool and possibly the country’s prettiest pier. And you are only 15 miles from Bristol for when you need a city fix.”
Clifton
“Located alongside Bristol’s iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge, with the harbourside just over half an hour’s walk in one direction and the vast green spaces of the Downs immediately north, chic Clifton’s got its artisan cake and it’s eating it. The area’s independent cafés, shops and restaurants, leafy garden squares, elegant Georgian terraces and crescents that give Bath a run for its money, create an upmarket bohemian feel. The buzzy atmos attracts a mix of young and old, families (there are excellent schools within easy reach) and professionals. What’s not to like? Well, maybe the price tag. This highly des res doesn’t come cheap.”
Clifton, in Bristol, is famous for the suspension bridge. Picture: Andrew Masters/Unsplash
Frome
“This community-minded town is packed with arty, artisan shops, eateries and other businesses, with an indie cinema and a music venue where the likes of Paul McCartney ‘just pop in’. And it hosts the best designer-maker-producer street market in the West.”
Montacute
“Come and live in bucolic bliss in one of South Somerset’s prettiest villages. It’s close to Ham Hill (the site of an Iron Age fort and where the stone most of the houses are built from was quarried), has a stunning Elizabethan mansion at its heart and is surrounded by luscious walks. You could be having a beach BBQ on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast within an hour and there are two train lines up to London Town if you need the buzz of the capital – rather than the gentle buzz of the bees in the Somerset countryside.”
Wells
“Located on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills National Landscape (aka Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), England’s smallest city may be packed with historic buildings – including a 13th-century cathedral – but it’s not stuck in the past. Wells has a vibrant community, heaps of independent shops and eateries, a thriving cultural scene and excellent schools.”
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