Frome has again come out on top of a list of the best places to live in the South West.

According to The Sunday Times, from of a list of 78 locations which represent the best places in the UK, Frome has been named the Best Place to Live in the Southwest of England.

It is top of a list of ten locations in the region chosen by The Sunday Times in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.

The comprehensive guide is released online today and will be available in the paper on Sunday.

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

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

A detailed breakdown of house prices has been supplied by data specialists TwentyCi and information on internet speeds has been supplied by Thinkbroadband.com, the UK's leading independent guide to broadband.

Please note: apart from the regional winner, the other locations are not ranked, but listed in alphabetical order.

The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2021: Southwest

· Winner Nationally: Stroud, Gloucestershire

· Winner in the Southwest: Frome, Somerset

· Bradford-upon-Avon, Wiltshire

· Bristol

· Kingsbridge, Devon

· Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall

· Swanage and the Purbecks, Dorset

· Tisbury and the Nadder Valley, Wiltshire

· Topsham, Devon

· Wadebridge, Cornwall

Helen Davies, The Times and Sunday Times Property Editor said: "This guide has never been so important. The pandemic has taught us just how much we rely on our homes, our communities and our surroundings. With working from home now common, it's no surprise that many of us are reassessing our priorities and thinking hard about where we really want to live.

"Our focus for this year has been community, countryside and convenience. It hasn't been a year for big cities or small villages. Instead it is small towns that have shone: big enough to have everything you need within walking distance and small enough for everyone to feel connected.

"Stroud has been chosen as our national winner because it has all the basics covered in perfect style: it has excellent schools, convenient transport links and easy access to lots of glorious green space.

"Best of all it has a unique independent spirit that comes to the fore in its impressive local food scene and at the brilliant weekly farmers' market that brings the town and surrounding countryside together."

"Frome has been named our regional winner because of its attractive, creative and energetic community. It is a town where everybody is keen to get involved.

"The Compassionate Frome project shows a caring side that has really come to the fore during the pandemic and sets an example that many towns should follow."

The newspaper adds : Frome has long been one of our judges' favourite locations, for its pretty cobbled streets, interesting shops, lively markets and for the creative energy on display at venues such as the Black Swan Arts Centre.

They said: "This town is all about doing, with a huge number of local groups from ladies cycling and inland diving to Nifty Needles sewing. Politics isn't left to the politicians, with the town council run entirely by independents. And health isn't left to the doctors, thanks to the Compassionate Frome project - one of the best things here."

This scheme, launched by the town's GP surgery, has dramatically reduced hospital admission numbers by providing community support for patients. It now has more than 700 volunteer "community connectors" on its books and has - according to oneheadline - "banished loneliness".

You can read the full report HERE; the Sunday Times site

Last year's best place to live in the South West, according to the Sunday Times, was Cheltenham, while the year before it was Topsham.