THE top 10 best places to live in Dorset have been named - do you agree with them all?
Lifestyle website, Muddy Stilettos, has named their favourite locations in Dorset to live.
The women's lifestyle website has released their 'top 250 best places to live', drawing upon local knowledge and insight into the 28 most sought-after counties in England.
Their findings attempt to guide potential buyers to the local hot spots and up-and-coming areas including the 10 best places to live in Dorset.
Here are Dorset’s best areas to live - and what the judges had to say about them.
Canford Cliffs
Situated along the eastern edge of Poole Harbour, the website descibes Canford Cliffs ‘village’ as a quiet, well-heeled and leafy suburb of Poole with wooded ravines, picturesque walks to the nearby golden beach and some gorgeous properties.
They recommend heading to Canford Cliffs for cocktails, roasts, dining and, they say, the oldest beach huts in Europe.
One of the finest privately owned gardens in southern england gardens, Compton Acres, attracts lots of tourists, founded in 1920 by Thomas William Simpson, an entrepreneur who had become wealthy through the manufacture of margarine.
READ MORE: Pictures of Cliff Drive in Canford Cliffs
While the average house price last year was £788,556, a detached house will set you back on average around £1.5m (but can go for a lot, lot more), flats around £423,590 and terraced £485,571.
Beaminster
The site describes Beaminster as a laid-back, pretty town with a bit of an arty feel and an attractive conservation area around the market square.
Find out about the local history at the Beaminster Museum. Housed in a former chapel, it reflects and interprets the rich social history of this rural West Dorset market town and the surrounding villages.
It also mentions two restaurants in particular: Brassica in the market square, founded by Cass Titcombe of Spitalfield’s Canteen, and just down from the square, restaurant and hotel The Ollerod, run by Michelin-starred Chris Staines (ex Mandarin Oriental) and Silvana Bandini, formerly GM of The Pig-near Bath.
Lots of period properties around the centre of the village and new, attractive, areas of housing. The average selling price over the past year was £422,512, with detached properties, selling for an average price of £632,174, terraced for an average of £324,077 and flats £154,495.
Bridport
The town has a vibrant community, rich cultural scene, indie shopping and eateries, Muddy Stilettos says. Surrounded by stunning countryside, it’s also just a mile and half to the sea.
Eclectic shopping along two main streets forming a ‘T’ shape. Waste Not Want Not, vintage garb at Dress, women’s clothes, gifts and homewares Cilla & Camilla, vintage/reclamation at Bridport Antiques on the St Micheal’s Trading Estate.
The Art Deco Electric Palace (winner of Best Theatre/Arts Venue in the Dorset & Somerset Muddy Awards 2022), for films, live screenings and performances.
Average selling price is around £333,299 over the last year, with detached at £514,304, terraced £309,235 and flats £170,957.
Dorchester
The historic county town of Dorset, Dorchester is great for families with very good schools, close proximity to the Jurassic coast as well glorious countryside, the entry describes.
Home of the brilliant Art Deco Plaza, Dorchester Arts at the Corn Exchange and 10 museums, including the Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum.
Super local fine dining in Lower Bockhampton at the thatched Yalbury Cottage. Great country pubs nearby include The New Inn at Cerne Abbas, the Brace of Pheasants in Plush and The Thimble Inn in Piddlehinton.
READ MORE: Remembering the lost street of Dorchester
A range of period and new builds in Dorchester, with new builds reminiscent of period in Poundbury.
Average house price last year was £326,685 over the last year, with detached properties fetching £503,035, terraced £332,086 and flats £224,652.
Shaftesbury
The sleepy hill top town nestled within the glorious Blackmore Vale in North Dorset, has a range of shops, cafes and restaurants and one of the UK’s most iconic views at Gold Hill, where the Hovis advert was shot.
Shaftesbury is famed for its snowdrops and there’s an annual Snowdrop Festival.
Local events include the Shaftesbury Fringe (comedy, music, theatre), the Gold Hill Festival (along the same lines) and the Shaftesbury Carnival.
The average house price was £328,034 over the last year, with detached at £516,887, semis at £285,293 and terraced at £260,279.
Sherborne
The picture postcard market town in north west Dorset has gorgeous medieval and Georgian properties, an eclectic array of independent shops, cafes and restaurants, excellent schools, a magnificent abbey and not one but two castles, Muddy Stilettos describes.
The 12th century ruin, Sherborne Old Castle, was leased to Sir Walter Rayleigh, who then built a new pad in the grounds – the Elizabethan Sherborne Castle next door.
The annual Sherborne Abbey Festival, a week-long celebration of music – opera, classical music, jazz – in venues around the town.
The area is home to lots of period properties as well as new builds. Average house prices were £341,023 over the last year, with detached selling for an average of £496,890; terraced £309,983 and semis £316,900.
Wimborne
A bustling town with pretty streets and courtyards, period buildings, independent shops and weekend markets.
An historic market town on the banks of the rivers Stour and Allen, Wimborne (or Wimborne Minster to give its full name) has pretty streets and courtyards lined with ye olde worlde buildings, and excellent schools, the market town's entry says.
The magnificent Italianate mansion, National Trust Kingston Lacy, with its spectacular artworks and 8,500 acres of formal gardens and estate (including Iron Age Hillfort Badbury Rings) is worth repeated visits throughout the year.
READ MORE: What's new at Kingston Lacy's Christmas trail in 2022
There are lots of gorgeous period properties in the centre of town and spreading outwards. The average house price last year was £380,593. Detached properties sold for an average of £506,000, terraced £362,677 and apartments £236,124.
Swanage
Looking out over Swanage Bay on the dramatic Jurassic coast, this traditional seaside town on the Isle of Purbeck is family-friendly and a great place to live all year round.
Aside from the four miles of gently sloping, sandy, family friendly beach with beach huts, prom and Victorian pier, there’s sailing, fishing, sea kayaking, coasteering, scuba diving (on some of the UK’s best dive sites).
Enjoy the spectacular Studland beaches, walks up on spectacular Ballard Down, overlooking the chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks and over to the Isle of Wight, and along the coast.
Period cottages, terraces and large townhouses in the town; period and contemporary pads overlooking Swanage Bay; picture postcard villages in the surrounding countryside.
Last year, the average house price was £404,831, with detached properties selling for an average of £553,861, terraced for £378,955 and flats for £272,069.
Southbourne
This Bournemouth suburb is popular with young professionals and families.
There are great places to eat, drink and hang out, good schools, efficient transport links and you could spend every day on one of the UK’s best beaches.
The Fisheman’s Walk Cliff Lift/funicular railway will take you to the top of the cliff and a lovely nature trail. The Hengistbury Head nature reserve‘s wetland, woods and heaths are worth a visit.
Victorian, Edwardian and up through the decades to contemporary new builds. The average house price in the area was £411,316 last year, up 14 per cent from the previous year. Detached properties sold for an average of £629,317, semi-detached properties for £430,845 and apartments for £250,189.
Lyme Regis
Muddy Stilettos says the Georgian streets and old alleyways, loads of independent shops and eateries, excellent local schools, an ancient harbour are there for the taking in the seaside town.
The South West Coast Path, the Wessex Ridgeway, and the Liberty Trail all pass through the town.
The Marine Theatre, right on the seafront, puts on an eclectic programme of films, live music and comedy.
There are all sorts of festivals throughout the year, including the Lyme Regis Folk weekend, Lyme Regis Jazz and Blues weekend, Guitars on the Beach and the Lyme Regis Regatta and Carnival Week.
Last year the average house price was £454,419, with detached selling for an average of £698,781, semis for £354,809.and flats for £259,431 – around 4 per cent up on the year before.
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