to want to move to a nice, rural Shropshire village?

[Threaders]

I live in the North West, always have done (apart from a few years serving in the forces). I'm proud of my northern roots.

I've had enough. The NW is so built up, town after city after town. I just want some peace, somewhere nice for my DD (4 months) to grow up. Somewhere quiet, serene, picturesque. I walk the dog every day, dodging broken bottles, rubbish strewn all over the place, dogshite on the pavements, grafitti on the walls. Every weekend I'm subjected to hearing arguments and drunken fights going on in the street all night. The traffic. Argh, I could go on.

AIBU to just want to find myself a nice village in Shropshire, not too far away from the motorway to allow me to continue work, but off the beaten track to avoid bus after bus after lorry after bulldozer? Somewhere on the edge of rolling countryside. Somewhere with nice quaint little stone cottages and farm buildings, a couple of village pubs, a shop, a nice local school.... am I living in a dreamworld?? I have a good friend who lives in a beautiful village like this down in Northants. That's too far, but I struggle to find something similar round here.

Sorry, I've just had enough. I must be getting old!!!!!

[Sparkle2010]

YANBU But I don't understand why you can't do it? If you want to do it, then go!

[Threaders]

Simply, it's a money thing. OH is on maternity leave, and thus maternity pay. We are struggling (as most do) on our reduced income. Housing market is on it's arse, especially round here - tried to sell up a couple of years ago but no joy.

Hopefully when we are both working again, we might have better options. But for now, it's crack on as usual.

Was just having a morning moan

[Callisto]

Are there no rural areas in the North West?

[Threaders]

Yes, there are. I just fancy a change though. Perhaps I am being a bit unreasonable to name Shropshire and discount the NW altogether, but I see that sort of area as my ideal.

[ApocalypseCheeseToastie]

Yabu, and obviously haven't watched THE VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED

[MrsLevinson]

There are plenty of nice rural villages in the NW!

[atswimtwolengths]

Have you been to Nantwich? It's not a village, but it seems to have everything you want.

[Ephiny]

I live in a similar sounding area in London and dream of living somewhere quiet and rural (even somewhere quiet and suburban with trees would be an improvement and probably more acheivable).

I'd stay in the North-West if I were you though, it's a lovely place once you get out of the big city sprawl. I lived in Manchester for a while and it was lovely having the Pennines and the Peak District practically on the doorstep, at least you can get away from the city now and then. It feels like there's no escape from London :(

[MrManager]

If you live in the city, you want to get out to the country.
If you live in the country, you want to get out to the city.

Grass always greener, and all that.

[roadkillbunny]

You sound like me 5 years ago.
I am from Liverpool and had lived there all my life, my dh from Oxfordshire where is parents still live in the village he grew up in.
We had always held out the hope of moving to Oxfordshire but the costs seemed so scary, it seemed like an impossible dream but when dd was 4 months DH tested the job market down in Oxfordshire and was offered a job immediately, something we were not expecting!
We did get some help from DH's parents, don't know how we would have done it without with so little notice but it was a £1000 loan from them that made it happen, that paid for the deposit on a rented house and the hire of a 7.5 ton truck to move us.
We went from rented house to rented house that made it easier and now live in a fantastic little village in Oxfordshire. DH works in the nearest town in a good job that he has managed more progression in his career then he could have hoped for in Liverpool. Our dd is now in Year 1 at the very small village school that is one of the best in the country, we have also had a ds who will start at the excellent village pre-school after Christmas. I knew no one other them my in laws when we moved here but have now made many many friends, if help is needed there is always somebody to ask I have even had the bonus of meeting someone who has become a best and true friend, you could put us on the other side of the world from each other and the friendship would last!
We also have the privilege of living surrounded by amazingly beautiful countryside, we live at the edge of the village (which has a community shop, run by the village for the village not for profit and a fantastic pub, a hub of the community), rather then the drunks fighting for noise we have cows and sheep!
It was hard to make the move, it took allot of courage, our rent doubled and our house shrank, we had to make sacrifices for example running two cars became impossible to afford but I am just fine without, the bus service isn't great but there is a free bus to Tesco twice a week and in am emergency always someone to ask for help (like getting an ill child to a doctor or hospital).
It is like looking back 5 years reading your post, I thought that only well off people could escape the city and live in the county but I proved myself wrong! We are now doing so much better then if we had stayed in the city both financially and emotionally, when I go back to visit my family in Liverpool I enjoy seeing them and taking advantage of all the wonderful museums on offer but know I could never live there again, my children could not have the childhood they are having there, no one in their right mind would allow a 5 year old to play out on a close in Liverpool but in our village it is one of the many things my children are able to do that wouldn't be possible in the city.
My long winded advice, take the plunge, it will be hard, the first year or so you will be counting every penny but in the long term it has been so worth it for us.

[SantasENormaSnob]

There are some really rural areas in the nw.

I want to live in that sainsburys advert.

[Ephiny]

rkb I want to have your life :)

I think there's a bit of 'grass always greener' about it, and of course city life is more convenient in some ways - but people are different, some would go crazy in the 'middle of nowhere' and thrive in a bustling city, others (like me) are stressed by constant noise and crowds and cope pretty well with isolation!

[DancingThroughLife]

YANBU. Tis lovely part of the world. Full of cows if you believe the blardy Muller adverts. Big skies, rolling hills, only one motorway. Win! (for me, I agree the grass is sometimes greener)

[GlendaTheGrizzlyPiggy]

Yanbu, I grew up in a small Shropshire village and had a pretty idyllic childhood. It's a fabulous and rather overlooked part of Britain IMO. Try looking at some villages around Shrewsbury.

[Threaders]

Thanks to all for your input. RKB - an inspiring story, and I do have a 5 year career plan in mind which will hopefully sit in with my future plans for a move to the country. Oxfordshire really is lovely - in my line of work I would find a good job in London without any problem, however I'm not sure if that's what I'm after. Lots to ponder and think about

And FSS - thanks for the PM. Always good to hear the advice from those who have been there and lived it!

[LtEveDallas]

We are moving to Shropshire (Shrewsbury) next year - or at least that is when we are buying our house, wont move in til 2012.

We've lived there before and loved it, and cant wait to go back - BUT - house prices are still crackers there. You pay over the top in most cases, unless you go for fixer-uppers (how we are doing it) ......we've decided it's worth it though, its a great place to live but close enough to the major A roads / motorways to get to larger cities (Birmingham, Chester, Manchester etc)

For me it's brilliant as a gateway to Wales and Middle England, all the benefit with only the house prices getting me down.

[Flisspaps]

Market Drayton isn't a village though ;)

If you're after the M54/M6 motorway you need to look at somewhere near to Telford like Wrockwardine, Little Wenlock or Aston.

If you go for somewhere like Ellerdine or Cold Hatton, they're pretty much on the A41/A49 which takes you to Chester.

[Gotabookaboutit]

Shewsbury is beautiful but very expensive house wise - agree with Flisspaps - move a bit close to Telford and house prices come down and road access to Chester, Birmingham, Stoke etc is fab - We have never had a problem being ''incomers';' and we are further over into midwales. Think that has a lot to do with some ''incomers'' attitude:)

[scurryfunge]

Look at the villages around Oswestry and over the border. You get more for your money there.

[GlendaTheGrizzlyPiggy]

Yes Wrockwardine is gorgeous very close to amenities but lovely & rural. I used to go to Brownies at the village hall there.

Upton Magna is very beautiful & has a wonderful Primary School.

High Ercall is a great place to live. It's small enough to have that village feel but has a shop, a school, a pub, a small hairdressers.

[Lizbertnobacon]

Ooh we live in market drayton, how exciting for it to be mentioned on mn, I thought no one would have heard of it! Its true that its not really a village but it is the perfect size for us in that it is very quiet and small but has all the essentials and with a small baby that has been very useful. There are some lovely smaller villages close by though if you want more rural such as hinstock and hodnet.
My dp commutes to warrington everyday from here so there are good transport links with the nw.
We moved here from stoke and I soooooo much prefer being in a rural area.

[DancingThroughLife]

Who knew there were this many Shropshire MNers?

I agree about Shrewsbury, it's why we're having trouble selling our flat - a glut of them on the market and not enough wiggle in the price because we need to get our money back in order to move.

I love Upton Magna, except no shop. Hadnall is lovely, another great school, but on the A49. High Ercall and Hodnet are also lovely lovely. Condover is good too, a bit bigger but still small villagey feel.

Just so many nice places out in the country.