£350-400k, 3 beds with garden within 2 hrs direct train to London

[breadwidow]

Inspired by another thread where the OP got lots of suggestions, I need some suggestions for towns for relocation options. Quite typical story, moving out of London to free up some £, and to a place where DH could afford to set up longed for bakery. I will keep my job in civil service (which I love) so need to get to London fairly easily, for travel at least twice a week but likely not every day (hence happy with 2 hour journey)

So looking for locations:
Within about 2 hours train journey to London (I would stretch over that for the right place)
With decent schools (the biggest wrench will be leaving my sons outstanding primary)
Where houses with 3-4 bedrooms and decent size gardens, ideally within walking distance to the station, cost £350-400k

Even better if it's a location where you can see an artisan bakery doing well and extra marks for being near some wild / dramatic country side (this may be asking for the moon on a stick but I miss the landscapes of mid wales near to where I grew up)

[jemmstar1980]

Newark - 1 hour 15 minutes train into Kings Cross. Your 400k would also go much further than a 3 bedroom.

[furlinedsheepskinjacket]

winchester is only an hour away no untamed wild countryside tho

[notyummy]

Grantham rather than Newark IMO. You will still get what you want house wise and schools are better than Newark. 1 hour bang on to kings cross on the fast train. I used to be a civil servant and did the journey more than once a week to Victoria.

[breadwidow]

Thank both. I had assumed Winchester was out of our budget range, so that's quite reassuring (obv fails on the lack of wild countryside but the hour journey and to waterloo are big plusses)

Newark, that's near Nottingham right? (Shameful lack of knowledge of the East Midlands)

[petitdonkey]

Ashford in Kent? 43mins to St Pancras.

this is a nice area or your budget would buy any number of new builds. Great schools but definitely lacking in artisan bakeries.... Picture House cinema being built though so things are looking up!! Easy access to the beach too.

[notyummy]

Down side is the high street in Grantham is rubbish. Nottingham is easily accessible though and there are some great farm shops etc in the area.

[petitdonkey]

If you are heading to Waterloo, Ashford also goes directly to W East - cheaper than the high speed and about an hour.

[MaunderHunt]

Exeter? 2 hrs 9 mins to Paddington on the fastest train. £400k would get you a lot of House. Wild countryside on the doorstep, as is the seaside.

[breadwidow]

Thanks, keep em coming

Exeter will be most tempting to DH

Ashford will be a harder sell (all my Kent based suggestions have been dismissed off hand )

[clarrylove]

Stroud/Kemble/Cotswolds.

[breadwidow]

The HQ of the department I work for is walking distance to Victoria & Waterloo (victoria nearer).

[breadwidow]

Thanks clary. We went and looked at Stroud. I quite liked it, DH less convinced, thought it was a bit old person (can you tell he's hard to please?. Don't know anything about Kemble so will check it out

[MrsMoastyToasty]

Bristol Temple Meads station is just under 2 hours commute to London Paddington. although getting across Bristol is a nightmare so anywhere west of London like Bath or Swindon would be a good starting point.

[MaunderHunt]

0.3 miles from the station. £400k, 17th centuary cottage, 4 beds, plus annexe

[notyummy]

Newark is about 35 minutes from Nottingham and the same to Lincoln. Grantham about 40 minutes from Nottingham.

Peterborough has great train links to London but a bit soulless (sorry Peterborough residents) and the schools are struggling.

[MaunderHunt]

Of course I forgot to add the link ...

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64409059.html

[jemmstar1980]

Yes - Newark is north of Nottingham in the East Midlands. 300k would get you a 4 or 5 bedroom detached house, I don’t think your get that in Winchester.

[YouCantCallMeBetty]

Chippenham? Under 2 hours to Paddington. Nice villages nearby which obv aren't walking distance to the station but bakery might do better there than in town. Don't know about primaries but two decent secondary schools.

[Ceara]

I don't think that budget would go as far as you want it to in Winchester. Prices have risen rapidly. The budget would buy you more if you went further down the Waterloo to Poole/Weymouth line, or there's Salisbury which is 1 hr 30 mins to Waterloo and less expensive than Winchester, if recent events don't put you off. Not wild and untamed, but there's some lovely downland and heathland countryside in west Hants/Wilts/Dorset.

[SomeRandomBird]

Sheffield is 2 hours 10 mins to st Pancras. Crosspool is a lovely area, v easy to get into town and the station, good schools, Peak District nearby. You will make friends easily - folk are friendly.
Found you a place: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53155104.html

[jemmstar1980]

Plus plenty of civil service roles in Nottingham

[Peanutbuttercups21]

Do you know that Season tickets will cost 6k-9k for 1-2 hr daily commute?! We got caught out by that

[GingerAndTheBiscuits]

You’d get 5 beds for that price in parts of West Mids eg Stafford is 1hr15 from Euston

[theredjellybean]

Kemble tends to be the last stop for daily commuters to London and is pretty cotswold so pricey.
Stroud excellent options in and around,
I commuted from Gloucester train station 1.50 hr to Paddington. If you onky do it twice a week easy option. Anywhere between stroud and Gloucester would get you nice house, great countryside and Gloucestershire has grammar schools which are all very very good if your son is academic.
Stonehouse is nice small town between the two... Bakery would do well there or many of the slightly pretentious cotswold towns. If your dh doesn't mind a drive, cirencester is very 'farmers market' and while too pricey to buy there you could look at cheaper bits in North Gloucestershire

[Slitherout]

If you miss the wilds of Wales certain areas of Cardiff might be a good compromise? Will make the journey slightly over the 2 hours mind but fab schools if you pick a good area, relatively cheap housing, mountains and beaches nearby and we love a good bakery.