best market towns with good cultural life in UK?

[milliefiori]

Where should we move to?
DTeens are nearly grown and we no longer need to live in commuting distance of London, so we want to free up some cash and move sometime in the next couple of years.

We want a market town that has a lively cultural life - independent cinemas, theatres, jazz/folk/indie music venues, bookshops, restaurants. A great sports centre with swimming pool and a library would be brilliant too. We both love walking, so good places to hike nearby would be great.

It needs to be much cheaper than London, so places like Oxford, Cambridge or anywhere close to London (Sevenoaks, Guildford etc) are not on the cards. About 2 hours away from London is ideal as we'd want to come back to see shows and exhibitions and meet up with friends.

I was wondering about Stratford-on-Avon but is it just TudorDisney?

We're happy to move anywhere that has its own lively buzz and isn't too Daily Mail.

Where should we look?

st albans is lovely if its in your budget x

What about the lakes ?? Kendal, Ulverston etc. (( Ulverston is a festival / market town )) even has an art deco cinema but is small enough to feel safe. You'll probably get a lot more for your money too.

Norwich is fantastic (in my opinion) and ticks most of your boxes. 1hour 50 mins to Liverpool Street station, and 1.5 hour trains starting up soon.

Stratford-upon-Avon is a brilliant place to live. Great schools, lovely countryside, easy transport links to rest of country.

Saffron Walden is lovely and is cheaper than Cambridge or bury st Edmonds?

Market Harborough but a short trip into Leicester for the films and gigs

Beverley in East Yorkshire

Buxton? Has a festival and fringe, opera house with plenty of theatre dance and luve music, arts centre with cinema, leisure centre, library, independent restaurants and great bookshops, and is surrounded by Peak District countryside. Takes about 2 hours to Euston.

Ticks all your boxes.

The Cresent development will be finished next year too, fantastic pool and spa facilities in Georgian splendour!

There are some brilliant ideas here.
Hadn't thought of Ulverston.
I loved Buxton years ago when I visited it. Had forgotten it. Sounds gorgeous.
@Lovemycat1 glad you like Stratford.

Sleep St Albans is definitely out of our price range!

And the rest I know nothing about, so off to google and plan weekends away...

Thank you all so much. (And keep em coming! )

Plus, you'd get a lot of bang for your buck propery-wise, lots of lovely Victorian and Georgian houses in town around the Pavillion Gardens for an absolute steal.

shrewsbury - my sister lives there and it is lovely - close to birmingham and manchester but not London

Totnes is pretty liberal with beautiful countryside around and the sea nearby. Lewes has everything you are looking for; on the Downs, liberal, tons going on culturally, good restaurants and pubs, about an hour and a bit to Victoria and close to the sea and Brighton. About £400K for a pretty Victorian house but that might not be in budget?

Ludlow, Shrewsbury in Shropshire (may be too far?
Frome, Bruton in Somerset

I grew up in SW, mum still lives there. As a market town lovely, but all I hear about SW now is the TRAFFIC
They are building loads of new housing and the town and roads simply can't cope with it as it is...

Would put my off moving there TBH

£280,00 for a beautiful apartment

£250,000 for a Victorian semi

£400,000 for a more substantial Victorian semi

All in the centre of town.

Frome, Somerset.

Indie shops, interesting arts / music / cultural scene. Bath, Bristol and Stratford on Avon up the road if you want city stuff/ more arts centres. Music fests around about.

Lovely villages nearby if you don’t want to be in Frome.

I'd say Norwich ticks the culture boxes. York too. I know they are cities, but they are both lovely, and lively.

Bury St Edmunds is also lovely, but doesn't have that cultural buzz imo.

Wallingford in oxfordshire is very nice?

I know Stratford Upon Avon well and don't think it'd fit your bill. From what you say, it doesn't have the feel you're after: no independent cinema; ironically, not an arty place IMO and it's very Daily Mail (and great schools only if you pass the 11+)

It has festivals etc

I grew up in SW, mum still lives there. As a market town lovely, but all I hear about SW now is the TRAFFIC
They are building loads of new housing and the town and roads simply can't cope with it as it is

This is true but also true of everywhere. Totnes is nice, Exeter is also nice, not a market town but a pleasant city. Agree with Lewes. Chepstow is also worth a look. You could also look at the inland towns of North Wales like Denbigh, not so close to London (but train from Chester to Euston doesn't take that long) and you are close to Chester, Liverpool and Manchester (and Cheshire Oakes shopping).

Bridport? Rather isolated though, no rail and Dorset roads aren't very good.

Warwick is nice but don't know about house prices.

Cirencester is also nice but again don't know about house prices.

What is TudorDisney?

Cardiff used to have an indie cinema (Chapter arts centre) but not sure if it's still there. Don't know if any of my other suggestions do.

Sell your house so you're cash buyers and get Phil and Kirstie on it!

What is TudorDisney

Stratford. Full of tourists gawping at a few Tudor buildings.