Hmmm Penzance is a summer place more. Most large towns in Cornwall are decent, but tbh, my experiences of them all year round leave a lot to be desired. I have family living down there and know its not all its cracked up to be. Also rural Cornwall is lovely, should you choose to live there, but its really not like living rural anywhere else.
Penzance would also mean a long commute to anywhere should you wish to fly somewhere on holiday etc, or go visit people or have people come see you. Its like the arse end of nowhere for that sort of thing. No motorway so its dual carriageway all the way from Exeter downwards. If it were me, I'd pass on Cornwall.
Exeter I think is great. I grew up not far from there and lived and worked in the city and its recently had a whole new shopping centre, Princesshay, built with all the lastest shops, plus some great eating places, swimming pools and good local facilities and schools (depending on which area you move to). Its not too big, easy to jump onto the M5 and zip to Bristol airport or carry on to other destinations. Its also good for day trips to cities like Bristol. The coast is not far away, Exmouth and so on for day trips, plus you have a short drive down to other places along the coast. Then there is inland, Dartmoor and so on.
Its got decent local transport, from city hoppers out to the suburbs, lots of regeneration going on and I think is well worth consideration. Until the start of January I was living 45 minutes drive away from Exeter and would often zip down for a day out with friends and hubby. Even though we've now moved back over into Somerset we still use Exeter and have been down there twice in the last 2 weeks. I have kept the same hairdresser there for the last 10 years and won't give him up
Exeter info for you
Swansea I don't know much about. Hopefully someone else can tell you more about it.
Westbury.. there are a few. I know the one in Wiltshire and the one near Bristol (Westbury on Trym).
Drop me a PM if you want to ask anything about Exeter. I know it well and have friends with kids at school there
