Cirencester has been named as the best place to live in the South West by The Sunday Times.

The newspaper said that, while Cirencester brands itself 'the capital of the Cotswolds', it's not a typical Cotswold town. Its shops, markets, culture and sporting opportunities, plus the fact that it is busy all week, make it a bit different from your average Cotswold tourist destination.

Cirencester has rugby, cricket, football and netball clubs, a running club and a parkrun in the grounds of the Royal Agricultural University. It also has polo at Cirencester Park and country sports for those who prefer their sporting activities to be a bit more high-brow.

The article mentions the town's backstreet art galleries, as well as New Brewery Arts and The Barn Theatre, which doubles as a cinema.

The Sunday Times describes Cirencester as the best place to live if 'You want an authentic Cotswold life'.

It named the best places to live in the town as Somerford Road or Cecily Hill or villages such as Quenington or Sapperton.