Westcountry

UK home movers are flocking to the Westcountry, according to a study of over half a million address changes by Royal Mail.

Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset all make appearances in the top 10 most desirable areas to live in the UK.

Calculated by net moves, they claimed fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth places respectively.

The study of mail redirection data revealed that, between them, the four counties attracted 10,847 new householders who travelled more than one million miles to relocate from other parts of the UK.

Kent tops the table with an impressive 5,068 moves into the area. Only London and Surrey achieved higher move-in levels, but because they have also experienced significant moves out, neither makes it into the top 10.

Other counties to appear include West Sussex (2nd), Suffolk (9th) and Essex (10th). Hampshire (3rd) and Lincolnshire (7th) also performed well.

Royal Mail’s Home Movers Barometer is managed and compiled by data value management specialist DQM Group, based on 0.6 million mail redirection requests over a 12-month period. It also shows that, while not making it into the top 10, smaller regions have been successful in attracting new residents.

Most significant are the Scottish Isles (not including the Shetland or Orkney Islands), which welcomed 289 new households, who moved an average of 217.82 miles each to relocate.

Additionally, existing residents of Hampshire, Kent, Essex and Devon have been proved extremely loyal, all demonstrating a high level of moves within their respective county.

People from Kent were most fond of their "Garden of England", clocking a substantial 12,646 internal moves and an average of just 5.39 miles per relocation.

Devon County Council's executive member for economic regeneration, Cllr Humphrey Temperley, commented: "We are unsurprised by these findings as the Westcountry holds a unique charm that many find hard to ignore.

"This, combined with Devon’s recent investments in schools and hospitals, the burgeoning economic climate and the picturesque countryside, make for a quality of life few other counties can compete with."