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?

Cheltenham
Jazz festival, literature festival, spa town with the history side of things right next door with Gloucester. Cotswolds and forest of dean on your doorstep. Google sherborne cinema in Gloucester if you want indie cinema! It's an amazing little place.
Houses aren't cheap by national standards but they are compared to London!
Less than an hour to Bristol/ Birmingham and just over 2 to London.

I'd second the Lake District :-) Keswick has the Theatre by the Lake. Ambleside is my favourite - Zefirellis cinema and restaurants plus lots going on. But not easy to get to London.

Worcester isn’t too daily mail. Some of the surrounding small villages maybe, but Worcester itself isn’t.

Tourism. What Stratford is really imbued with is tourism.

I disagree that Brighton has the same problems as London, If you live like a student in places off the London road near the centre, the Level or the North Laines but there are pockets of family areas usually centred around certain primary schools and it's much safer than London. The people are very similar as in similar 'creative' jobs, older parents, like 'gigs' 'music' or are down from London so are semi retired at 52 as have cashed in the price of their old property. I wouldn't say it is particularly 'booky' and lacks a bit of good theatre and high brow arts. I grew up in London and my world was musical instruments, galleries, going to see orchestras play and a richer cultural experience than my children get here but it is nice enough.

Stamford is nice, or Oakham, but they might be a bit quiet for what you want.

I've got friends in Bristol and Salisbury who really like it there and they seem like lovely places.

I agree with the pp who grew up in Market Harborough. It's ok, but not a huge amount going on. I wouldn't move there if you have no particular links to the area. I also think it's very expensive for what it is, because of the good rail link to London. If you don't need to commute I'd deliberately choose somewhere that's harder to get to London from, as it'll be much cheaper!

LOL that Stratford-upon-Avon is just a short drive away from Frome.!