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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
Tomas Malloy & Andrew McQuarrie

Somerset town dubbed one of 'coolest' places to live in The Sunday Times

A small town around an hour from Bristol has been called one of the country's "coolest spots".

Bruton, in Somerset, boasts "supersonic status" and an "international profile", according to an article in The Sunday Times.

Caroline Donald wrote the town (pop. 2,907) was "catapulted to fame" as a number of celebrities moved in.

Donald wrote: "The pretty Somerset town is hipster heaven.

"It is true that the town and its pretty satellite villages have become a magnet for former city-dwelling creative in their thirties and forties who want to give their offspring a storybook bucolic childhood among like-minded people.

"A smattering of well-known faces in the media, film and music business live here too, but nobody bats an eyelid: a resolutely non-elitist culture prevails.

"Newcomers soon join in with the town's strong sense of community - the Packhorse Fair in May is attended by thousands - and an active council battles off large housing developments that the local infrastructure can't support."

The restaurant At The Chapel has done much to raise the profile of the town, writes Donald, as has the Hauser and Wirth art gallery.

Molly Gunn, 42, who runs a blog for modern mums, moved to the town in 2016 with her music producer husband Tom Mangan, Somerset Live reports.

Speaking to The Sunday Times , she described the town's undergground party scene.

She said: "It's all going on behind closed doors - there are a lot of parties.

"There isn't a commuter mindset here, there's a creative vibe, and I love the beauty of the place."

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Donald added: "Increasingly, too, Bruton's fame is attracting visitors: there are more than 30 Airbnbs in the town, and Number One Bruton, a characterful eight-bedroom hotel, opened at the end of last year to rave reviews, with a restaurant run by the Michelin-starred chef Merlin Labron-Johnson.

"Such is the pulling power of the place, even The Newt in Somerset, a swanky new hotel and garden nearby, has swapped its historic Castle Cary postal address for a Bruton one."

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