Where would you buy a house if this was your criteria?

[location2021]

I need a real life Kirstie & Phil style intervention...

This time next year I should be in a position to leave London and could pretty much move anywhere in the UK (no significant family ties, no kids, self employed with work that isn't tied to a location). Currently live on the outskirts of London near a hugely polluted high street and high crime rates but overpriced housing... Main motivation for moving is to buy mortgage free somewhere quieter/cleaner/safer. I'm in my 40s so this is potentially a "forever home" at least for the next 20 years or so (I've moved a lot in the past 20 years and just want to settle down).

Especially interested in hearing about smaller places I may not have thought about?

Criteria:

• definitely a freehold house
• budget in the region of £200k-260k (have budgeted extra for moving costs, stamp duty etc. already so this is the price tag on the house itself)
• 3 bedrooms or 2 beds/2 receptions (to have workspace/office at home); ideally a semi or detached (although currently live in a terraced house and it's fine)
• not rural/isolated but not right in the centre either - an ordinary nice neighbourhood with basic amenities within walking distance would suit me perfectly
• open to considering different styles of houses from period property to new build

Other things I'd love to have:

• culturally diverse/open minded area (I'm not British although have lived here for nearly 20 years)
• no more than 3-4 hours on the train to London for the occasional (but rare) trip here for work or to see friends
• close to green space/nature or potentially a seaside location
• would love to be in an area with a creative/arts community or somewhere with thriving small businesses but this is not essential

Currently Nottingham is very high up on my list but have also considered the areas around Southport, Ormskirk and Preston. Yorkshire is also a possibility although I'm concerned about the flood risk areas of course. In the other direction, somewhere on the Kent coast? Not sure it's worth me paying the premium house prices to be in the commuter belt though as I'm definitely not going to be commuting...

Bury St Edmonds. Not very diverse, but ticks the other boxes I think. You could get a 3 bed semi there for your budget.

I have friends who live nearby and it seems a lovely place.

I live in South Ribble (south of Preston). Half an hour to the coast, an hour to the lakes, Liverpool, Manchester. Love it here. Sarah Beaney rated it the best place to live in the U.K I think.
Avoid the city centre though.

Littlehampton

I was going to suggest Nottingham before I got to the end of your post. Daughter lives in Bingham, just east of Notts. Reasonably priced housing, close to city and country, good transport links local and to London

A few friends have moved from London up to where I would consider the 'urban' areas of Cumbria and Lancashire and struggled, with a couple moving on to bigger cities. Before deciding on a location decided what conveniences you would miss/couldn't live without from London life see where they are located. For example 24 hour supermarkets, a decent cinema, your favourite chain restaurant, public transport, sports facilities, good hospitals etc. Some areas will be lacking in some things and depending what's important to you might effect your decision. One particular friend really didn't like that there were no take aways that delivered in the town and Nando's was an hour away!