Bath, Wiltshire and Somerset cover some of the most quietly sought-after countryside in England, anchored by a city that still feels like nowhere else.

Bath's Georgian crescents and honey-coloured townhouses set the tone, but the real character of the area lives just beyond it: Castle Combe and Lacock, both practically untouched since the eighteenth century, are as close to a film set as a real village gets, while Bradford-on-Avon's steep streets and canalside setting make it a favourite for anyone who wants a proper town on their doorstep.

Further out, Frome has become one of the best examples of a market town reinventing itself, all independent shops and a genuinely creative community, and Bruton and Tisbury offer the same rural calm with none of the crowds.

It's a region that rewards patience and local knowledge in equal measure, and knowing which village suits which kind of buyer is exactly where the right advice earns its keep.