Town with less than a 40 minute London commute

[Pupsiecola]

Hi all,

DH is about to accept a new job and it's highly likely we will move next Summer.

We'd like to be within a 20 minute walk of a small to medium sized town, and able to get into London in 30 to 40 minutes. A decent 6th form within a reasonable distance is important too.

I realise the world is on it's arse at the moment, but this research is a good distraction!

Any suggestions please?

TIA

Ooh I know Weybridge too. We have friends just outside Cambridge. I'll investigate!

Thanks.

I came on to say Sevenoaks or Blackheath/Greenwich and see they have been suggested already. I'd live in any of those areas. We actually live not far from Sevenoaks and it's lovely.

Thanks Min. Sevenoaks is definitely one to investigate. I like that it's surrounded by green, not far from RTW and also not far from LHR & LGW.

Beckenham

Lots of lovely places in Buckinghamshire and we have excellent schools here. 1.2m may not be enough for places like Beaconsfield or Amersham Old Town, but plenty of nice towns and villages around with trains to Marylebone on 40 mins or less. I worked in CW and could do door to desk in just over an hour (about 25 mins from Baker St on jubilee line). Much of S. Bucks is an AOONB.

1. Wanstead/Snaresbrook. Central line to Stratford change at to Jubilee line to Canary Wharf. Wanstead has a villagey feel, independent shops and is in the edge of Epping Forest. Also has good schools.

1. Forest Gate even closer to Canary Wharf and you'd get more bang for your buck. The local secondary school has an Outstanding OFSTED rating

I came to say the same as @PerspicaciaTick – follow the Greater Anglia line from Liverpool Street into Essex. Beyond Shenfield is really green and you can get the line to Stratford, then Jubilee straight to Canary Wharf. Depending where you start from it can be 40 minutes in total to Canary Wharf. Some lovely large villages around too.

Not considered Essex. Thanks.

Just to be clear, we don't need school. Youngest DS will be going into L6th.

You already know Guildford. It's lovely, lively, safe, leafy. Loads for older teens to do (Boilerhouse and GLive for gigs, loads of sport, cinema, bowling, good gyms and swimming pools including a lido.) They are renovating the area around the station at the moment. Good shops and gorgeous walks on the doorstep, straight from town centre into countryside, as well as theatres, Adult Ed centres etc for staying there after DC are grown.

For 6th form, George Abbott is well-regarded. RGS if academic and considering private. Lots of Guildford teens also go Godalming College which has a great reputation.

Upminster and Shenfield in Essex are both nice and a good, short commute to CW.
Worth looking at stations on Crossrail?

If you know guildford and have friends/ family there but think I would second the Surbiton/Kingston area. Or less London (ie Surrey) Epsom or Cheam are both lovely with good schools and good trains (Epsom better than Cheam in terms of regularity and variety). Ewell (between Epsom and Cheam) also good. Or further east towards Croydon - sutton, Purley etc? All relatively convenient for the rest of Surrey too.

The trouble with Croydon is that to get the four bedroom house, there's a good 35 minutes in bus travel to get to the station and then there's no guarantee of getting on. Sanderstead is good for the houses and train station, but it's absolutely rammed and the services are far less frequent. Purley is OK, but again, there's getting to the station and the other smaller stations on the lines have almost non existent/erratic services.

Sutton, well Belmont/Banstead, is better in terms of getting to a station. Carshalton Beeches might fit your needs.

I used to live in Harpenden and can highly recommend it. 20 mins into St Pancras. Great schools. Your budget should be ok. St Albans is the next stop on the Thameslink line.

@Starsforthewin - so did I, although not recently.

Ellan Guildford is very appealing because of all the things you've highlighted, and also we know it so very well and at our ages that's a comfort vs starting completely from scratch. It would also mean that DCs aren't more than an hour from the friends they've made in the 7 years since we've lived where we live now. Also I wouldn't have to change jobs as could work from home 2 days a week and go into the office for the others.

I have heard only good things about Godalming college from friends whose kids went. I went to George Abbot myself (secondary and 6th form). What's happened to Guildford Tech? I tried to look it up online a few weeks ago and it wasn't clear...

Looking at stamp duty it's quite appealing to buy something for a lot less and have a rebuild and that's more likely in the Warwicks Bench area as there are often new builds going on.

We live in a one off new build now and we really like the (fewer) larger rooms and the open plan feel of a big kitchen/diner. A lot of the houses I've looked at near stations are older places, understandably.

I was going to say Sevenoaks but I don't think the schools are very good there - it's one of the reasons we left - you have to pay or pray.

I’m in Fleet and it’s pretty quick to Waterloo, 44 mins or something...Green spaces here are amazing as there’s so much mod land.

Got a friend who lives in Oxted, the trains are pretty good into town. Again, really nice countryside around there too.

Petts Wood has a great community and facilities. Zone five. Trains to Lewisham to join up with DLR plus London Bridge, Blackfriars. Victoria, Cannon St, Charing Cross. There are two grammar schools with excellent sixth forms nearby in Orpington.

West wickham- just 10 mins away from Croydon, bromley - it's in the middle, but it's a lovely high street, lots of independent food cafes and boutiques. 10 mins away from loads of countryside- sparrows den, high elms etc, schools are good- Langley or hayes v well thought of. Also ravensbourne. And trains into london bridge 30 mins. Couple of hours from lovely beaches such as Rye or Whitstable.

Another one here seconding Weybridge or the Esher/Thames Ditton area. Both Weybridge and Esher on the mainline in to Waterloo with travel time of 38 mins and 28 mins. I’ve heard that Esher College is pretty decent. You also have Heathside Sixth form for Weybridge and Salesian Sixth Form in Chertsey (if you happen to be catholic) is excellent.

Harpenden

It's a nice small town and the train line is quite convenient for the city I think.

How will Crossrail affect a possible commute for you? Might open some other options that aren't 'live' yet.

Go East to Essex.

Hi OP, Farnborough 6th form college is well worth a look. Not the most exciting of towns to live in (farnborough park area is quite nice though and can walk to the station from there) but trains from farnborough main are on the Woking line and pretty fast. The college has a pretty wide intake (not sure it strictly has a catchment area these days) so you could live in a nearby town / village for it - a PP has mentioned Fleet but also Hook / Odiham / Crondall if you're willing to drive to a station and to college.

If you don't mind me asking op how old are you? You have a good budget so have choice plus life is short so I wouldn't look at some places mentioned.