BRIDPORT has been named as one of the best places to live in the UK.

The west Dorset town made it into the 2022 edition of the Sunday Times Best Places to Live list.

It covers a fairly large area, encompassing Allington, Skilling, Coneygar, Bothenhampton, Bradpole, Court Orchard and St Andrew's Well.

Mayor of Bridport, cllr Ian Bark, said "It’s no surprise to find Bridport listed as one of the best places to live in the UK.

"Our wonderful town has everything you could possible want and more, in fact if you can’t get it in Bridport you don’t need it.

"Bridport is a great place to live, work and relax, surrounded on three sides by beautiful rolling hills and the coast with the stunning West Bay cliffs making up the fourth side. We’ve got it all: Excellent schools, a great range of employment opportunities, a diverse mix of independent and high street shops, the best street market in the country, a year round calendar of events making us ‘Dorset’s Eventful Town’, some outstanding places to eat and socialise, a lively and extremely creative art and craft scene, plus cinema and theatres Bridport.

"Above all Bridport is a very friendly and incredibly supportive town. People in Bridport care, they care for each other, the community they live in, and the environment. I have lived in various places over the years but none of them can hold a candle to Bridport the place I am proud to call home."

In its profile, the newspaper wrote: "Festivals, independent shops, beautiful landscapes and the rugged Jurassic Coast just a walk away make Bridport a dream combination of coast, culture and countryside."

It was also revealed an average house price within the areas costs £400,000, which has seen a growth of 27 per cent since 2020.

Also making the list is the quaint town of Sherborne in north Dorset.

In Sherborne's profile, the newspaper wrote: "You’ll never be short of friends in this ancient, beautiful market town.

"It has more than 200 community groups, an interesting and improving high street and its abbey is as beautiful a parish church as you’ll find."

The average house price in Sherborne is £369,000, which has seen a growth of eight per cent since 2020.

How did the Sunday Times create the list?

The Sunday Times’s expert judges behind the guide assess a wide range of factors, from schools, transport and broadband to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street. 

They look to celebrate improving towns, villages or city centres, attractive, well-designed homes and locations bursting with community spirit – which the pandemic has shown to be the most vital quality of all. 

An average house price for each location has been supplied by Halifax, the sponsor of the guide, and up-to-date information on broadband speeds has been provided by Thinkbroadband.com, the UK’s leading independent guide to broadband.

The comprehensive guide, which includes 70 locations, is released online today and an edited version will be available in the paper on Sunday.

Helen Davies, The Times and Sunday Times Property Editor said: “The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place.

“For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people?

“This year we have discovered new best places to live, from resurgent city centres in the North, rejuvenated suburbs across the country, hidden villages in the Southwest, and a commutable Scottish island.

“We hope there is something to suit everyone.”

You can see the full list here.