A SOMERSET village has been named the top spot for Bristol housebuyers looking to escape the city post-lockdown.

Research by Rightmove has found that the historic village of Banwell, which is located 20 miles south west of Bristol, is the most popular destination for residents in the city keen to enjoy a more rural way of life.

And developer Bellway, which is building a range of three and four-bedroom homes at its Bilbie Grange development in the village, says there has been an increase in demand from Bristol buyers since the lockdown.

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Rachel Way, sales manager for Bellway South West, said: “Many city residents are now looking for a slower pace of life in a rural location post lockdown, and Banwell offers buyers the best of both worlds.

“Located on the edge of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is an attractive village with good schools and a wide range of amenities, but it also benefits from good travel connections.

"The M5 is just a 10-minute drive away and it’s only 15 minutes to Weston Super Mare train station which has direct services to London.

“While Banwell is within commuting of Bristol, Bilbie Grange is also ideally suited to those who work from home, with a range of spacious three and four-bedroom properties which enable families to blend work and personal life.

“Although the Rightmove research found that in many cases across the UK, people are relocating to villages with higher house prices than the cities they are moving out of, for Banwell the opposite is true. Average house prices in the village are significantly lower than Bristol, meaning that buyers in the city can get more for their money by moving to a more desirable rural location.

“There are now just a handful of homes available to purchase at Bilbie Grange, and with Banwell proving such a popular destination for Bristol buyers, we don’t expect them to be on the market for long.”

For more information or to book an appointment to visit the Bilbie Grange sales centre, call 01934 330252 or visit bellway.co.uk.