The lifestyle of Swindon and Wiltshire

Did you know that almost half of Wiltshire is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty? Fulfill your fantasy of living amongst England’s green and pleasant rolling hills, dotted with the iconic white horses carved into the hillside. 

The spectacular scenery of both the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs, New Forest and North Wessex Downs offers fantastic opportunities to be at one with nature, including some of the UK’s best walking trails and ancient woodlands. Not only will you find the perfect escapism through the peaceful countryside, but dotted all over Wiltshire are some of the most attractive chocolate box villages in the country. With the famous Castle Combe in the Cotswolds, often called one of the prettiest villages in England, and many other small villages that are just as photogenic with their thatched roofs and yellow sandstone walls, Wiltshire’s landscape draws visitors all over the world, but could be on your very doorstep.

Now that a significant proportion of the UK population are working from home due to covid-19, digital connectivity and remote working are more important than ever. Wiltshire offers the best of both worlds, especially if you are one of the many looking to move away from crowded inner city centres and wanting to work from home on a regular basis. With new digitally focused workspace hubs in the region, such as Workshed, Digital Mansion and other innovative centres, Swindon and Wiltshire are at the forefront of the working revolution. These coworking spaces are modern, high-spec and beautifully finished - perfect for everything from entrepreneurial office space to meeting rooms.

If you have some specific requirements in mind for where you live, the diverse range of towns in Wiltshire can offer you your perfect fit! From the smaller streets of Corsham with its beautiful Grade II listed buildings, to the famous medieval Salisbury, you’ll find there are many lifestyle choices to choose from!

Swindon, a modern and diverse town with its great steam railway heritage, also offers the ‘city in the countryside’ experience, with award winning museums and a flourishing arts scene. Wiltshire provides housing to suit every need and lifestyle.

With the County having one of the highest rates of growth in housing stock in England, that’s a choice that’s only getting bigger. Plus in Swindon and Wiltshire, your investment goes further in the property market. Average house prices here are 11% cheaper than in Bristol and neighboring Dorset, 5% cheaper than Gloucester and 40% lower than London prices. Your new home will represent fantastic value for money.

Wiltshire has been a focal point for both its beauty and its cultural significance stretching far back in England’s history. With the charm that only comes through such rich heritage, Wiltshire is a unique and wonderful place for exploring the past.

Two World Heritage sites and large numbers of National Trust Properties are densely scattered throughout the county, such as Stourhead and Lacock Abbey, Longleat Safari Park, Wilton House and the awe-inspiring Stonehenge. The perfect complement to a working lifestyle, these places are easily visited on the weekends, rain or shine - you’ll never get bored! Those with families will find that these fantastic locations offer a world of entertainment and education for children, and that their surrounding myths and legends create a sort of magic that is impossible to find elsewhere! You may even find yourself at some of the weird and wonderful traditional folk and pagan festivals that have continued to be celebrated in Wiltshire such as the Downton Cuckoo Fair and Oak Apple day. Make sure you try some Morris dancing and Lardy cake on these fun days out.

The area has an excellent choice of independent schools open to boarding and day pupils from ages 2 to 18, offering a wide variety of academic and co-curricular activities. Swindon and Wiltshire are home to schools renowned across the UK, such as Dauntsey’s, The Godolphin School, Warminster and Marlborough College, which offer the very best of the English education system.

For primary schools and secondary schools, there are 25 schools, as of 2019, with an Ofsted rating of ‘Outstanding’ to choose from with a wide map of catchment areas.

Wiltshire College and Swindon College run a broad selection of courses in subject areas including engineering, health, business and finance and the creative and performing arts, whilst Oxford Brookes University offers a number of courses from its campus in Swindon.

A haven for independent retailers, specialist shops and some great shopping centres, Swindon and Wiltshire cater for all types of shops and shopaholics. With the smaller streets of Salisbury full of quirky, treasure-filled shops, beautiful Bradford on Avon and larger shopping centres such as the Shires, Wiltshire’s retail sector provides a choice of great days out for everyone. There are also two designer outlets, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet and charming Wilton Shopping Village, right next to the river.

As befits a county famous for its local produce, Wiltshire is proud of its range of indoor, outdoor, farmers’, artisan and international markets along with its plentiful offering of farm shops which all have fantastic, locally-sourced food.

If you love the great outdoors and fitness, then Wiltshire is an ideal spot for enjoying a sporting event from triathlons through to horse trials.

With beautiful countryside to explore it comes as no surprise that there are lots of running events that take place in Wiltshire. From local Park Runs, the Salisbury 10 mile race or the Tidworth 10k through to the Lacock 10k and even some half and full marathons – there is something for all running abilities. Likewise, cycling is a very popular activity in the region, with annual events such as the Cycle Wiltshire, the Wiltshire Wildcat and Wiltshire 100.

Horse riding, football, tennis, go-karting, ice-skating and paintballing are some of the many other outdoor activities that will entertain the family and are easily reachable from anywhere in Wiltshire, with great coaching centres and clubs alike.

Wiltshire’s gently undulating hills are also the perfect spot for golf-lovers, with some of the UK’s best golf courses located here, including the championship standard Rushmore Golf club.

There will be no difficulty in trying to get the whole family out of the house and into the great outdoors, and Wiltshire’s weather, relatively mild and stable compared to most of the UK, will hopefully always be on your side!