Discover the South West
Passionate about matching homes with their new owners, Otters Home Search dedicate their time and expertise to search throughout Bath, the South Cotswolds, North West Wiltshire and East Somerset to find your perfect home.
This glorious part of South West England delivers the perfect combination of beauty, practicality, culture, leisure, transport and commerce.
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It strikes the right balance with the stunning countryside right on your doorstep but with mainline transport links with the Great Western Railway and the M4 and M5 taking you and your family further afield when desired.
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Click on the map to explore each area...
Highlights
The Royal Crescent, The Circus, Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, Thermae Spa, Pulteney Bridge, Prior Park, Royal Victoria Park, The Holborne Museum, The Assembly Rooms, Fashion Museum, Jane Austen Centre, Kennet and Avon Canal, Milsom Street, Christmas Market, Lucknam Park
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Key Locations
Central Bath, Charlecombe Combe Down, Batheaston, Bathford, Bathampton, Kelston, Lansdown, Monkton Farleigh, Newton St Loe.
Transport
GWR mainline station: Bath Spa, 1 hour 20 minutes to London PaddingtonM4 Junction 18 approximately a 20-minute drive via the A46
South Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is a world-renowned destination and a wonderful area in which to purchase a property and make a new home for you and your family.
This is true countryside living in architecturally and rurally stunning surroundings amongst vibrant local communities, but within striking distance of Bath, Chippenham and Kemble train stations for straightforward and swift transport to London.
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Regular markets make for excellent shopping opportunities, with organic, independent and artisan grocers, bakeries and coffee shops consistently deliver great food and drink alongside plenty of remarkable gastro pubs. All this to consider and we haven’t yet mentioned the rolling hills, country estates and wide-open expanses for you to explore.
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Further afield there’s the Stroud Valleys and the honey-hued villages of the North Cotswolds, as well as links to the M5 providing easy access to Birmingham in the north, and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall to the south.
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The Cotswolds and Gloucestershire are very well positioned to deliver outstanding educational opportunities with a plethora of independent day and boarding schools as well as the Royal Agricultural University for degrees and beyond.
Highlights
Malmesbury Abbey; Bowood House, Gardens, Hotel and Spa; Chippenham, Malmesbury and Corsham Farmers’ Markets; National Trust Lacock Abbey and Lacock village; The Pound Arts Centre; Castle Coombe Circuit, Womad Festival, REME Museum; Cotswold Water Park.
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Key Locations
Bradford-on-Avon, Box, Bremhill, Charlton, Chippenham, Corsham, Christian Malford, Crudwell, Derry Hill, Devizes, Eastcourt, East Tytherton, Hankerton, Great Somerford, Keevil, Kington Langley, Langley Burrell, Little Somerford, Lower Seagry, Neston, Oaksey, Rowde, Sandy Lane, Seend, Steeple Ashton, Sutton Benger, Tytherton Lucas, Upper Seagry, Yatton Keynell.
Transport
GWR mainline station Chippenham 1 hour 14 minutes to London Paddington
M4 Junction 17 approximately 10 minutes from central Chippenham, and 20 minutes from Corsham and Malmesbury.
East Somerset (including Frome)
The steep hills of the town of Frome lie just 13 miles from Bath, yet this Somerset town is carving out its own identity with so much to offer a family thinking of relocating here.
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Frome is picturesque with a regular market that has become a shopping destination for many. With an alternative, creative and independent ethos about the place, Frome is a strong draw for many media, music and creative folk making the move from London but who would like to still have access to city life in Bath or Bristol, or a longer journey back up to London.
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Located between Frome and Bath are several pretty and highly sought after villages including Beckington, Rode, Norton St Phillip and Hinton Charterhouse all benefiting from the access north to Bath and South to Frome. Highly rated independent schools, include Wells Cathedral School, King’s Bruton, Millfield School, and Downside. All of Bath’s independent schools are also within a short drive.
Bath & Surrounding Villages
A UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the city of Bath is the perfect location for a many, relocating families, young professionals, downsizers and investors.
The city of Bath has been a longtime draw for families making the leap from London. A home here perfectly combines city and country lifestyles with a vibrant, dynamic city on the mainline train station to London nestled closely to fields and rolling hills mere minutes away. Award-winning restaurants, artisanal coffee shops and bakeries, beautifully designed bars, independent galleries, fascinating museums and the best that the luxury end of the high street has to offer are all at your fingertips and within view of the rolling hills of the Cotswolds escarpment.
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Excellent independent and outstanding state schools as well as a world-leading university are all on your doorstep giving you further reasons to make Bath your new family home.
Highlights
Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury Sack and Wacky Races, Tetbury Book Festival, Highgrove, Cirencester Christmas Market, Cirencester Park, Cotswold Water Park, Cotswold Airport, National Trust Castle Coombe, Badminton Horse Trials, Woodchester Mansion, Calcot and Spa, Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa, Barn Theatre, Corinium Museum.
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Key Locations
Badminton, Biddestone, Castle Combe, Cirencester, Colerne, Grittleton, Luckington, Marshfield, Sherston, Tetbury, West Kington, Westonbirt.
Transport
GWR mainline station Kemble 1 hour 10 minutes to London Paddington.
M4 Junction 15 approximately a 20-minute drive via the A419 from Cirencester.
North & West Wiltshire
Bordering the historic city of Bath, towns such as Bradford-on-Avon and Chippenham provide for great commuter living, whether you’re venturing to Bath or Bristol, or back up to London.
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The traditional market towns of Corsham and Malmesbury offer vibrant communities focused around regular markets, excellent independent bakeries, bars, coffee shops, restaurants and cosy local pubs, alongside thriving cultural scenes and the expansive hills and fields of the Wiltshire countryside all on your doorstep.
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Being so close to Bath, the excellent schools there are within easy reach, but Wiltshire has its own excellent schools to shout about. Chippenham alone offers three highly rated state schools and is located near to St Mary’s and St Margaret’s in Calne, Heywood Prep in Corsham and Stonar School in Atworth.
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In short, this area has it all: lively market towns and country lifestyles; a wide selection of great schools to suit children’s varying needs; fantastic transport links to whisk you away; the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to the north and west, and the North Wessex Downs AONB a short trip to the east.
Highlights
Frome Independent Market, Frome Artisan Quarter, Black Swan Arts, Frome Heritage Museum, Marston Park, Vobster Quay, The Cheese & Grain, Hauser and Wirth, The Newt, Babbington House, Frome Festival, King Alfred’s Tower, Nunney Castle, Mendip Hills AONB , Longleat Safari Park and Center Parcs Longleat Forest, Cranborne Chase AONB.
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Key Locations
Beckington, Freshford, Frome, Rode, Hinton Charterhouse, Iford, Lavington, Limpley Stoke, Lullington, Midford, Norton St Philip, Winsley.
Transport
GWR Frome train station 1 hour 40 minutes to London Paddington, with a change at Westbury; Frome to Bath Spa averages 43 minutes.
A303 is approximately a 20-minute drive from Frome